February 2022 - 36

NOTES FROM THE FARM
Moving targets for ideal
climate and personal
hygiene functions
especially upsetting to the ladies.
Now some might say, if you cannot do it
JERRY MILLS
Mills Apple Farm
jerry@millsapplefarm.com
Climate change is no joke. How many
readers saw the 60 Minutes program
in December in which the French were
experiencing severe drought and heat, and
losing 100% of their grape crops, while the
British Isles had warmed enough to grow
grapes and win awards for its wines? In
fact, one man was smart enough to see it
coming and went to Britain and bought
hundreds of acres of land while it was still
cheap and now has beautiful vineyards
producing good wines.
A long time ago I speculated about
buying ground around Hudson Bay in
Canada for future apple orchards and
wondering where I could get starts for a
banana plantation here in Illinois. Too
late for me now but maybe not for others.
Then, Nova had a program on
Dec. 28, again on climate change. It
showed how ocean rise was affecting
millions of people around the world and
a timeline for potential disasters. The
future does not look good.
correctly, sit down! Well, many of us wear
overalls, or coveralls, and to disentangle
oneself from straps or sleeves is just too
much of an ordeal, especially if time
is critical. The answer, I have found, is
simple. Keep a bucket in your bathroom.
When nature calls, set the bucket on the
toilet seat and aim for that. It is hard to
miss when it sits right under the emitter.
When finished, dump the contents in the
toilet, rinse the bucket in the bathtub and
you are ready for the next trip.
Results are an odorless bathroom,
happy keeper of the house and the
satisfaction of a job well done.
January marks the beginning of my
18th year as a writer for FGN and VGN
(publisher-speak for Fruit Grower's News
and Vegetable Grower's News.)
People ask me where I get ideas for my
stories. I guess it is the same as " where
do flies come from in the winter " ? They
just appear. Inspired? I doubt it. Certainly
not from a greater source. Researched?
Not much, except I do try to be correct
regarding technical stuff. Entertaining?
I hope so, for there is no point in
struggling to put words together, if no
one finds them interesting.
I do look for gems elsewhere that
A section of a tree fruit hedger fabricated
at Mills Apple Farm, Marine, Illinois. Used
to open aisle space between tree rows, it
is mounted on the front of a Caterpillar
259D Track loader. Cutters are 12-inch,
carbide-tipped saw blades, driven by a
long v belt driven by a hydraulic motor
running on the tractor's hydraulic system.
Photo: Jerry Mills
Tool of the Month: This item is of
such delicate nature that my editor may
not let it pass. However, I think it is
helpful enough for the keepers of the
house that it should be published.
I have observed that as a man wanders
toward the end of his path of life, he
begins to unlearn the skills acquired
at the very beginning, specifically
accuracy when performing certain
bodily functions. This happens for many
reasons - poor eyesight, growth of large
body mass that blocks the view of what
he is doing, or in the case of Parkinson's
disease, loss of ability to keep a steady
aim on the target. These deficiencies tend
to cause bad aromas in the toilet area,
36 | FruitGrowersNews.com
readers may have missed, and that is
why I wander so far from the title of
the column, and why I have been a pest
about COVID-19. I believe in science
and have known many scientists. Never
met one who was insincere in his or her
conclusions from their studies. I suspect
those who express doubt, have not taken
a class where there could never ever
be any doubt about the results of the
experiment. That's science.
On another subject, I have always
been lazy when it comes to physical work
and always looked for easier ways to do
things, hence, Tool of the Month. In
my twilight years I take great pleasure in
doing tasks that in an earlier time would
have required hard physical work. What
a pleasure it is to sit in a machine and
comfortably dig a hole large enough to
bury a car in 10 minutes and never break
a sweat. Today, Dec. 28, I ran through
the orchards and with my homemade
tree shearer and cut off all the branches
that had grown into the aisles and would
impede the pruning crew.
The moral, I guess, is that if you enjoy
doing things that take physical strength,
find or make a machine that will do it
when you become incapable of doing
it the old way. Makes life much more
satisfying. Example: Today I am cleaning
out the loafing shed. Forty-years of junk is
coming out to be sorted. Huge groundhog
dens being uncovered. I'll pack it with
gravel before replacing. And all while the
chill factor is in single digits. FGN
Jerry Mills presented with
excellence honor by ISGA
By FGN Staff
The Illinois Specialty Growers
Association recently presented its
2021 Award of Excellence to Jerry
Mills, long-time Fruit Growers News
columnist.
Mills, founder of Mills Apple Farm,
started his journey in the specialty crop
industry in the 1970's when he began
selling apples on the family farm in
Madison County. The farm, situated
on 133 acres with 50 acres of orchard,
4,500 trees and 18 varieties of apples,
started as a pick-your-own orchard
but quickly evolved to offer additional
products.
Mills began pressing cider, which
led to the purchase of new equipment
and on-farm cold storage. The business
continued to grow and establish its
market with its now-famous apple pies,
still sold today.
To Mills, family and community are
what get him out of bed in the morning
and put a smile on his face.
we are awarding Jerry Mills the 2021
Award of Excellence. "
ISGA honors Ted Biernacki
Also honored with a 2021 Award of
Excellence by ISGA was the late Ted
Biernacki, founder and namesake of Ted's
Greenhouse Inc. in Tinley Park, Illinois.
Biernacki died in January 2021 at the
age of 91. Biernacki, a specialty crops
pioneer and WWII veteran, was what
some may call the " last of a breed. "
Biernacki grew up on a vegetable farm
in Michigan that started in 1926. He took
over the business in 1948 and started the
transition from produce to greenhouse
flowers and plants due to labor and
profitability constraints at the time.
" I knew I wanted to grow what the
people wanted and not just what they
needed. I want my customers to be able
to tell me what they are looking for,
and then we can find the perfect fit, "
Biernacki said.
In 1951, Biernacki was drafted into
" I couldn't have done it without the
family. The kids, my three sons, helped
me plant every tree on the farm, and
they've been instrumental in keeping it
going, " said Mills.
As with many agritourism businesses,
growth meant diversification. More
crops were added for production,
including pumpkins, cherries,
blackberries, Christmas trees, peaches
and more apple varieties. The farm
faced hardship in May of 2014 when its
iconic red apple barn was destroyed by
fire, along with most of their equipment
and stored goods. This defining
moment paved the way forward as Mills
and his family rebuilt and expanded
into a bakery, produce area, meeting
room, and event space.
In 2004, Mills began to publish
his recurring " Notes from the Farm "
column for Fruit Growers News and
Vegetable Growers News in an effort
to spread more farm transparency.
His stories are described as relatable,
humorous, and full of tips and tricks.
" Jerry has shared the trials,
tribulations and celebrations of his
farm to the world for over 15 years, "
said Raghela Scavuzzo, ISGA executive
director. " These have served to teach
others what farming looks like, give
relatable information to other growers,
and help connect us all. His column has
reached people from across the country
on multiple platforms. His passion, love
and wisdom of the industry are why
the military and volunteered to be a
marine and attend school while the
business took a pause. After his service,
Biernacki returned reinvigorated. He
sold the Michigan land and bought
10 acres in the Chicago suburbs in 1958.
This is the business that he, alongside
his son Dan and daughter-in-law Karen,
grew into what is currently known as
Ted's Greenhouse.
Today, visitors can find over 100,000
square feet of undercover space with
warm, cool and overwintering houses
containing everything from flowers to
succulents to hanging baskets to cacti,
all grown from seed or cuttings.
Beyond being a pioneer and leader
in the greenhouse industry, Biernacki
was known for his service to the
community and commitment to the
industry. He served on the University
of Illinois Ag Council for 30 years. Even
after his retirement in 1995, Biernacki
could continue to be found around the
greenhouse giving advice and wisdom
to customers.
" Ted once said, 'I've been told that if
you love what you do, you never work
a day in your life. I guess I am one of
the lucky ones,' " Scavuzzo noted. " His
passion, knowledge and love for the
industry is greatly missed - there is no
one like Ted. It is our honor to remember
him this year and posthumously
award Ted Biernacki the 2021 Illinois
Specialty Growers Association Award of
Excellence. " FGN
http://www.FruitGrowersNews.com
February 2022

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