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Fitting
the Pieces Together By David Morris Finding the right tillage system for Oegema Turkey Farms of Talbotville,
in Elgin County, has been a process of evolution. It Oegema Turkey Farms is a family corporation owned and operated by brothers Heiko and Tom, and Heiko’s two sons, Wayne and Mike. Most of the corn and soybeans that the Oegemas produce is dried, stored and processed on the farm as feed for their turkeys. The Oegemas have recently taken the concept of value-added production one step farther by building a small store on the farm. Through this outlet they retail some of their turkeys and custom-made turkey products directly to the consumer, eliminating yet another middleman. (Full Story) Other March Articles
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had to be an economical
system with lots of flexibility -- each year the Oegemas grow about 900
acres of corn and soybeans, 200 of winter wheat and 100 of processing
peas, on soils ranging in texture from sandy loam to clay. It also had
to be able to accommodate the manure from the 55,000 turkeys that the
Oegemas raise each year.