Happy Easter everyone. Do you do anything special for Easter? Easter means it is the anniversary of a little experiment that I started in 2012.

After a brief visit with Nick Reiher about his new role for the Farmers Weekly Review, I decided I would punish myself each Wednesday by adding 3-6 extra hours of work each week to write a column for this paper. What an adventure it has become.

First, my typing skills that I had learned in the 7th grade at Troy Junior High School were primitive at best. Second, I had spent most of my adult life working most of the hours that I was awake unless my presence was “necessary” for family obligations. I did not have much free time and found myself awake past midnight or later to finish many articles.

Thankfully, I can now type a lot better, even though I still tend to watch my fingers, and I have been able to bring the time I spend on each article down to less than 2 hours. Given that I cannot think of any topic of great worth to write about tonight, I will give the readers a couple more frustrations my stubborn self is trying to get over:

After a lifelong love for Red Wing boots, I can no longer support their business. They no longer sell the 953 model with the SuperSole. The internet says they do, but none of the shoe stores I have been to carry them, and I have been told they are no longer available.

Several features of the boot were favorable for my life on the farm, but the non-treaded sole was superior for not tracking mud into the house. One shoe salesman even told me that it would be ridiculous to wear shoes without a tread on the sole. I guess I am ridiculous.

I have spent many a late night putting farm equipment away to prevent it from being rained on. Many times, it does not rain, but I continue this practice regularly. It always amazes me how many people have a garage but cannot get their cars in it. The recent hailstorms in Kankakee County may make some re-think what they put in their garage.

My curious mind made me wonder what speed hail falls from the sky. It turns out pea-size hail is at most 25 mph. Golf ball-size gets up to 40; and over tennis ball-size can get up to 75 with larger getting close to 100. Imagine what it would feel like to be hit by that! And for my physics-minded friends, terminal velocity is 120 and above depending on the size and friction of the falling object.

I have spring fever. I am anxious for favorable spring weather to allow me to plant some early fields of oats and hay. With the recent deluge of 4.5” of rain in the previous 2 weeks, fieldwork is a while away. I will end the month of March with a trip to New Orleans. If i return, I hope to give you full review of my trip. It is 82 degrees and gorgeous here.

Back to the theme of Easter, which is right around the corner. Even though I have sworn myself to never have a real garden again, every time Good Friday arrives, I feel obligated to plant some potatoes.

John Kiefner farms in Manhattan, Illinois, as the 3rd generation to earn a living off the land. He believes you are never too old to learn or laugh.