WELCOME to LORENZEN FARMS Lorenzen Farms started as a 105 acre farm located in Chrisman, Illinois, in Edgar County. John Lorenzen, Sr. Purchased the farm and moved his family to this location from Foosland, Illinois in 1930. In the early fifties, John T. and Dave Lorenzen started the partnership of Lorenzen Brothers with the home base 105 acres. The beginning of the Lorenzen Brothers partnership had a difficult start with John T. acquiring Tuberculosis and being confined to bed for two years. As John T. was in the final stages of his illness, Uncle Sam called Dave to serve for his country. During these trying first years John Senior and several relatives helped with the farming and kept the young partners moving forward. With the help of God, gracious Landlord's, good neighbors, and relatives, Lorenzen Brothers began to grow into a diversified grain and livestock farm. The two oldest sons, Steve and Tony, entered the partnership, in 1972. The partners of Lorenzen Brothers then became the legal partnership known as Lorenzen Farms. The two youngest sons, Tracy and John S., entered Lorenzen Farms about ten years later forming the existing six family partnership. Since then Drew Lorenzen and Robert Lorenzen have become partners. Lorenzen Farms has since added several tracts of land to the original 105 acres and operates a diversified livestock operation as well. The operation now includes 5665 acres of which 4922 is tillable. This years crops include 2358 of corn, 2355 of beans, 60 acres wheat, and 180 acres of hay. We also custom farm 220 acres. Grain Many changes have taken place during the past forty years of the grain operation. From 1959 to 1961, the beans were planted in twenty-four-rows with a planter designed by the Lorenzen Brothers. We have about come full circle in the years past with rows of forty-inch, thirty-six, thirty, and now fifteen. We use a corn/bean rotation of crops with wheat for the livestock straw and hay for the cow herd. We like to deep chisel the corn stalks and apply at least half of the anhydrous ammonia in the fall. The ground is generally worked once in the spring as close to the planter as possible. We have some highly erodable minimum-till ground. Post spray is used for corn and bean herbicide. We have speciality contracts for food grade corn and seed beans. The grain is stored at locations on most of our farms. We also make good use of the Scottland Elevator purchased in 2008. We also have a large selection of GI bins that made our purchase of a grain vac a very well liked piece of equipment. Lorenzen Farms feeds about 26500 of the corn. Hogs The hog operation consists of two facilities. The rented facility at Indianola, the Almy hog farm, is a total enclosed 240 sow unit, gestation, farrowing and nursery. We have a finishing unit south of Scottland,IL. In 1984, the hog operation went SPF and sold Chester White breeding stock with good success for many years. During these years, we showed National Champion boars and World Pork Expo Champion Boars that sold extremely well. In 1993, we again cleaned up entirely and restocked with purebred Yorkshires. The new stock has produced Champion Barrow at the Indiana State Fair open show and many breed champions. Tracy,Robert and Landry are very dedicated to producing a lean, meaty carcass without giving up any maternal traits in the sow herd. Cattle Woodlands and grasslands that are not suitable for farming are used to accommodate the Lorenzen Farm cow herd. The 250 cow herd consists of registered Polled Herefords, registered Angus, and commercial cows. The cows are wintered on silage and round bales with mineral and liquid supplement added. One feedlot houses open and bred heifers. The second feedlot houses the young cows, and recips. The third feedlot houses Angus cows A.I. is used on the donor cows then bulls are released for spring and fall calving. Embryo transplants are also used to improve the breeding herd. Registered cattle are sold through production and private sales and the remainder are marketed through local stockyards and cattle order buyers. The registered cattle are production tested and the entire herd is strictly culled. In six hundred thirty-five leads at the State and National shows from 1985 to 2020, the Lorenzen Farm cattle have won two hundred eighteen classes, Stood second one hundred fifty eight times and third one hundred one times, We’ve won one hundred eighty division titles, and eighty five Grand or reserve titles. Our cattle placed in the top three of the class sixty seven percent of the time. During this period, we also had many champions die before they took their first step, many heartbreaking defeats, and several of life's hard lessons. Records In 1983, the first computer was purchased to assist in the farm accounting and record keeping. The accounting is now done solely on the computer along with various spreadsheets and databases to track production, produce farm maps, and keep inventory. In 1997, the GPS yield monitor was added, along with the mapping software. We also use GPS for soil sampling and spread the P,K, and lime accordingly. Closing We are continually striving for more efficient grain and livestock production. We are looking to expand our grain production acres and feel we have the equipment, knowledge, and willingness to do so. To conclude, I would like to rewrite the words John T. wrote in a tour booklet of our farm during the 1978 visit from the Illinois Young Farmers. He wrote: Typical of farm life, mistakes have been made; we could have done better; but at other times we can say with the psalmist, "My cup runneth over". All in all, we are thankful to God and the many good people who have given us an opportunity to farm in Edgar county, Illinois, USA. May he add a blessing to your visit here today. Steven Lorenzen Dave Lorenzen Tony Lorenzen Tracy Lorenzen Drew Lorenzen Robert Lorenzen