Which three pictures would you select to describe Indiana agriculture in 2022? How will you remember the past year when you reflect on it in the future?

Here are three pictures that say a lot about 2022 from my perspective. They capture things I will remember about 2022, including moving out of the shadow of COVID-19 and riding a roller coaster to good corn yields, even though they seemed in jeopardy until the very end.

Events return. Yes, the Indiana State Fair was live in 2021, but there was still a sense of concern among many who attended. Was it really OK to be there?

That reticence seemed to disappear in 2022. Aided by moderating temperatures after a hot early summer, crowds returned, enjoying various activities. I enjoyed watching volunteers dressed in early 20th century garb carry out demonstrations with early farm tools in Pioneer Village.

The volunteers in the photo above were sawing lumber with a sawmill powered by a steam engine driving the belt. The equipment is old, and so are most of the volunteers. Gary Emsweller, head of Pioneer Village, appreciates his current volunteers, while seeking ways to recruit younger ones to learn from them at the same time. He hopes this living history farm can continue after these volunteers are no longer able to participate.

Long lines at elevators. Todd Schmicker of Winamac, Ind., couldn’t resist snapping this photo while waiting in line at an elevator with a truckload of grain last fall. Notice the speed limit detector board. It’s normally there to catch the attention of a driver who might be tooling through the elevator grounds too quickly. There was no chance of that happening this fall, Schmicker reports.

Lines were long because crops were average to better than average, despite a tough summer. And even though elevator staff worked under the threat of a rail strike and shipping backlogs due to extremely low water levels along the Mississippi River, most kept their doors open to serve farmers most days, and some even on weekends.

Corn overflows. Kokomo Grain at Edinburgh, Ind., uses this outside grain pile almost every year. However, it doesn’t grow as big every year as it did this year. August rains resulted in great grain fill, rescuing many cornfields from drought stress and resulting in good yields — even better for some, not quite as good for others.

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