When it comes to farming, there is always the potential for dangerous situations to arise. It surrounds daily tasks, but one of the most dangerous things a farmer can do is get into a grain bin. Arick Baker, of New Providence, IA, was buried alive in 2013 with 18 inches of corn above his head in an 80,000-bushel grain bin. He was certain he was going to die.

“My whole life I’ve been told that once you go down in a grain bin, you die,” Baker said. The ABC Show, In An Instant, detailed the miracle rescue that occurred on June 26, 2013, that ultimately saved Baker’s life.

September 17 to 23 is National Farm Safety and Health Week, and Beck's customer, Daryl Bridenbaugh believes that the ABC episode featuring Arick's story is a good reminder that farming incidents can happen to anyone. That’s why it’s important to take precautions while on the farm.

This is a vulnerable time during soybean development as we enter pod development so it's important to scout your fields for insect feeding. A recently shot this video while scouting soybean fields at Beck's Practical Farm Research (PFR)® site in London, OH for insect damage, specifically from stink bugs.

Watch it now to learn more about what to look for and what kind of injury you can expect.

In this latest PFR Report, I am joined by Tyler Kilfoil as we report from the Row Width and Populations in Double Crop Soybeans study at Beck’s PFR site in Indiana.

When it comes to growing double crop soybeans, one hurdle many growers face is weed control. One of the most challenging weeds to manage in a double crop soybean system is marestail. In fact, some biotypes of marestail have developed resistance to Group 2 (ALS) herbicides, which are the most commonly applied in wheat. If a population is resistant, the weeds will escape the herbicide application and thus, will be well-established at wheat harvest. The larger the weed, the more difficult it is for contact herbicides to have effective control. 

When July and August get here, I turn my bass fishing into high gear. I am a born-and-bred topwater bass angler. Not many things give me the rush like seeing a huge bass attack a surface lure. So on August 1, I was lucky enough to be in a boat bass fishing with great friend Bryan Dralle from Coatsburg, IL.

Bryan and I are both just a little bit competitive, and I was certain there would be some sort of contest that day. We were both counting on a good topwater bite, but we disagreed on which surface to use. He chose a buzzbait and I went with the old reliable Jitterbug. The rules were easy; biggest bass wins.

Growing up in a suburb of Los Angeles, Debbie Crocker never imagined she’d end up a farmer in Oregon. On the other hand, her husband, Collin, never left the family farm he grew up on. 

“Literally, from day one, I never thought about doing anything else.” He says, standing in the farm office surrounded by his family.

With their faith and family leading the way, Kelby and Kathie Iverson are building a legacy on their ranch in southern Utah. Both grew up with farming and ranching backgrounds, and are eager to raise their own six children with traditions of hard work and love of the land.

Gordon Culbertson of Springfield, Oregon has been involved in forestry since he was 12 years old. Although he’s retired from his full-time career, he still has a couple of tree farms and generously shares his expertise with friends and family.

At Oklahoma State University, Aaron Base had professors that told him he’d never be able to farm. His diversified farm outside Geary, Oklahoma is proving them wrong. Today, Aaron and his wife raise a variety of niche products, like grassfed beef and wine grapes, along with their two daughters just down the road from the family’s main farm.

When she was just 19 years old, Ellen Allen’s father passed away. He left her Pocket Creek Ranch in southern Montana, and she was determined to carry on his legacy.

“Dad had such dreams for this place.” She says with a sentimental smile. “It wasn't really mom's cup of tea too much because she had been an Illinois farm girl and she loved fertile land. This place was a little dry and a little rough for her.”