Paula Karlock is a fourth-generation Kankakee County farmer who farms with her father, uncle, and cousin to raise corn and soybeans near Momence, Illinois. Paula’s great-grandfather moved to the Momence area along with his brother to begin farming in 1896. At this time, work on the farm was completely carried out through manual labor. Electricity did not arrive on their family farm until 1949. Life on the farm has indeed changed since Karlock’s grandmother would trade chickens, eggs, and cream from their farm for products not raised on their farm such as flour and sugar. Incremental changes over time in technology and mechanization have allowed farm families to increase their productivity on the farm and to improve their environmental stewardship. By using soil testing and field mapping linked to global positioning systems (GPS), farmers are able to apply fertilizer and other inputs only where it is needed and only at the amount needed. “These practices allow farmers to be better stewards of the environment,” said Karlock. “The water we drink comes from the ground underneath the soil we farm, and we want to protect our land as well as our family’s water source,” Karlock continued. Paula Karlock | Momence, IL FARMER SPOTLIGHT 6