Pam Smith

Decatur

Crops Technology Editor at The Progressive Farmer

Wordsmith for DTN and Progressive Farmer magazine. Tweets about agriculture, writing, crops, bees, therapy dogs, sheep, kid-lit, baking, bicycling are all mine.

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Articles

Farmers Explore the Legacy of Working with Dad

1 week ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Farmers Explore the Legacy of Working with Dad 6/15/2025 | 4:54 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Ethan Zoerb doesn't need a time-traveling automobile or perhaps more accurately, a tractor, to get back to the future. The Litchfield, Nebraska, farmer's yesterday looks very much like his today and hopefully, his tomorrows.
Poison Hemlock and Wild Parsnip: Be Aware of These Wicked Weeds

2 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pam Smith

Poison Hemlock and Wild Parsnip: Be Aware of These Wicked Weeds 6/12/2025 | 12:49 PM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor My favorite dog walking route has become fraught with peril. Wild parsnip, with its pretty yellow umbrella-shaped flower clusters, is blooming along the path in abundance. That's a problem because wild parsnip produces a toxin that causes phytophotodermatis.
Put Tar Spot on 2025 Corn Disease Radar

2 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Put Tar Spot on 2025 Corn Disease Radar 6/11/2025 | 11:07 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor Tar spot showed up in early June in corn fields in several Midwest states in 2024. Does that mean the disease will be problematic this year? Not necessarily. But it does increase the need to look for the presence of the disease, said Darcy Telenko, Purdue University plant pathologist.
Alabama Wheat Combines Roll as Rain Finds Nebraska

2 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Farm operations collided this week on Henderson Farms near Madison, Alabama. With more wet weather threatening, partner Stuart Sanderson and the entire farm crew were full throttle busy trying to get wheat out of the field and into the bin. Soybean planters were following immediately behind the combines. Early corn is already at full tassel and nearing timing for fungicide treatments. There's younger corn that still needs nitrogen.
Farmers Talk Rain, Farm Footwear and Why Shorts are Cool

3 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Farmers Talk Rain, Farm Footwear and Why Shorts are Cool 6/1/2025 | 4:56 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Ethan Zoerb isn't overly superstitious, but finding a mushroom in his corn field this week was cause for pause. "I've heard the old saying that finding three mushrooms in a row is a forecast of rain. I only found one, so maybe that's not going to be enough to keep this coming.
Periodical Cicadas Emerging in Eastern States

4 weeks ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Periodical Cicadas Emerging in Eastern States 5/30/2025 | 3:33 PM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor A year ago, I put out the welcome mat for periodical cicadas to hang out in my yard. They emerged from the soil in biblical numbers and climbed into nearby trees and shrubs. From the first early birds to the last slowpoke, their time on earth spanned about a month. They were loud and not at all discreet about their love affairs.
Wild Weather Story for Alabama and Nebraska Farmers

1 month ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Wild Weather Story for Alabama and Nebraska Farmers 5/25/2025 | 5:01 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- No disrespect intended, but the discovery that an extreme meteorologist is storm chasing near your cornfield isn't exactly welcome news. But that's exactly what Stuart Sanderson had this week outside of Madison, Alabama. "Not only did we have a tornado, but it slammed into the storm chaser's car.
Nebraska and Alabama Farmers Battle Weather Woes

1 month ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Nebraska and Alabama Farmers Battle Weather Woes 5/18/2025 | 7:22 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- The promise of rain turned empty for Ethan Zoerb this week. He's no stranger to drought in central Nebraska. But it is far too early in the season to have the word seeping into every conversation.
Critical V6 Corn Growth Stage: When to Scout for Maximum Yield Potential

1 month ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Critical V6 Corn Growth Stage: When to Scout for Maximum Yield Potential 5/16/2025 | 11:33 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor Warm temperatures tend to push corn off the starting line faster than a turbocharged race car. Going from zero to 60 isn't exactly a bad thing in the crop, but it increases the need to mitigate risk with timely management during critical growth stages.
Farmers Report Planting Progress by Mother's Day

1 month ago | dtnpf.com | Pamela Smith |Pam Smith

Farmers Report Planting Progress by Mother's Day 5/11/2025 | 4:57 AM CDT By Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Mother's Day is a benchmark that determines an early or late crop for many farmers. It also means celebrations for "Mom" can get crushed in the rush to complete field operations that need to be accomplished around the second week of May.