Prairie Farmer recently set out to follow Illinois farmer Doug Schroeder during a day of harvest, from sunrise to sunset.

It doesn’t take long to figure out where Doug’s priorities lie. “I am a man of faith, I love my family more than anything, and I farm,” said the Bellflower, Ill., corn and soybean farmer, who was named a Prairie Farmer Master Farmer earlier in 2022.

Faith is Doug’s top priority as he begins every day with prayer and a devotional with wife, Stacy — even during harvest and planting.

“How would I farm without faith?” Doug asked. “Every year I plant the seeds, care for the crop and hope for a bountiful harvest. Isn’t that what faith is?”

Doug farms alongside his son, Bob, and son-in-law Matt Turner in a true family operation. Growing the farm enough to bring on the next generation has always been a priority.

“I won the in-law lottery,” Turner said. “Doug is a family man and has done more for me as a son-in-law than I could have ever imagined. He’s let me live my dream.”

Doug has a lot on his plate — and one of the first things on his checklist on this particular day was to assess some damage the farm endured from a recent storm. One of the farm’s machine sheds will need to be replaced.

Upon arriving at the farm, the family formulated a game plan for the day along with their full-time employee, Curt Clapper, and part-time truck driver, Justin Lamb.

It’s clear the genuine love and admiration the crew has for one other.

“Doug has a great heart and has respect for the people who work for him,” Clapper said. “He’s so easy to work for and always level-headed.”

The Schroeder Farms crew headed to the first field of the day, a soybean field outside of Bellflower. After fueling up both combines, cutting beans was in full force.

When these photos were taken in early October, Doug and his crew were about 75% done with corn and 66% done with soybeans. Corn yields were about as expected, and soybean yields were slightly below expectations. Soybean moisture levels had dropped quickly, while corn saw the usual steady decline in moisture.

The crew ran hard, dumping soybeans from the combine to the grain cart to the semitrucks and, finally, at the farm’s grain facility until Stacy arrived with a home-cooked meal for lunch.

“Stopping for lunch has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember,” Doug explained. “I realize it costs us acres every time we stop — however, I see value in getting out of the combine, stretching our legs, letting the world turn slow for a few minutes, reconnecting with the guys and saying thank you to the people who took time out of the day to bring us lunch.”

Everyone gathered around for sliders, baked beans with hotdogs, coleslaw and donuts to satisfy their hunger. They caught up on how the morning went and shared a few laughs. Stacy added that baked beans with hotdogs are her husband’s favorite.

“Doug is one of the greatest people I’ve ever met,” Lamb said. “He’s helped my family so much. The Schroeders are all great people with a great family farm environment.”

Soon it was back to work, finishing the field at hand. Doug discussed some of the opportunities and challenges he’s observed in the industry. He served as chairman of the Illinois Soybean Association from 2019-21 and has been instrumental in ISA’s direction over the past several years.

“He’s honest, he works hard, he’s generous with his time and involvement in the ag community,” Bob said. “I’m lucky to have him as a dad.”

Next, the crew moved to another field a few miles up the road. As Doug removed the bean head for transport, he noticed the clouds banking up in the west.

It was all hands on deck to finish the next field before the rain set in.

“Farming is the only job I’ve ever wanted,” Doug admitted. “You’ve got to love, live, breathe and sleep farming, because it’s not easy.”

As the sun started to set, some welcomed visitors approached — Doug’s daughter Sammie Turner and grandson Bennett. A hug and a kiss for the next generation of Schroeder Farms was the perfect way to end this harvest day.

Send your best harvest sunset photos to [email protected] by Nov. 4.