ONEIDA, Ill. — Beth Rylander was the lead farmer in the family when her husband worked full-time as a John Deere engineer. When Dave retired and was ready to take over the day-to-day operation of the crop farm, she decided she wanted to run her own business again.
kAm$96 925 366? :? 3FD:?6DD 367@C6[ D@ D96 H2D C62=:DE:4 23@FE E96 AC@D 2?5 4@?D] $96 H2D 2 H9@=6D2=6 7=@C:DE 7@C ag J62CD F?E:= E96 =24< @7 72C> 6>A=@J66D 42==65 7@C 96C E@ >2?286 E96 72>:=J 72C>]k^Am
kAm#J=2?56C <?6H 96C ?6H 3FD:?6DD H@F=5 92G6 E@ 36 7=6I:3=6 D@ D96 4@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E@ 96=A H:E9 A=2?E:?8 2?5 5C:G6 E96 4@>3:?6 2E 92CG6DE]k^Am
Rylander laughs at her son Doug’s harvest team.
Photo by Phyllis Coulter
kAm$96 =@G65 D6H:?8 2?5 C6=2E65 7:36C 2CED D@ D96 564:565 @? 2 723C:4 3FD:?6DD] w6C 9FD32?5[ s2G6[ H2D D<6AE:42=]k^Am
kAm“(9@ H:== 3FJ 723C:4 :? ~?6:52n†96 A@?56C65 23@FE E96 D>2== 4@>>F?:EJ @7 23@FE f__ A6@A=6 :? CFC2= z?@I r@F?EJ H6DE6C? x==:?@:D] k^Am
kAm$96 H2D?’E E@ 36 DH2J65 7C@> 96C :562[ D@ D96 DE2CE65 @?=:?6 E@ AC@G6 :E] %96 C6DA@?D6 H2D A@D:E:G6]k^Am
kAm“x DFAA@D6 J@F 2C6 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 E9:D H@C<[†s2G6 D2:5 27E6C E9C66 @C 7@FC >@?E9D]k^Am
kAm$96 5:5]Â Â k^Am
kAm“|J >@> H2D 2 9@>6 64@?@>:4D E62496C] x 4@>6 7C@> 2 8C@FA @7 42?\5@ A6@A=6[†#J=2?56C D2JD]k^Am
kAmp7E6C cb J62CD @7 >2CC:286[ s2G6 92D D66? q6E9 >2<6 2 =@E @7 52F?E:?8 E9:?8D =@@< 62DJ[ D@ 96 H2D 4@?G:?465]k^Am
kAm%96 @?=:?6 3FD:?6DD DE2CE65 ?:?6 J62CD 28@] $6G6? J62CD 28@[ E96J DE2CE65 E96 C6?@G2E:@?D 2?5 @A6?65 E96:C 3C:4<\2?5\>@CE2C DE@C6 @? |2J `` — J6D[ :? E96 >:55=6 @7 A=2?E:?8 D62D@?] qFE E92E H@C<65 E@@] ~?6:52 u665 |:== u23C:4 2?5 "F:=E:?8 DE@C6 D:ED 36D:56 2 H@C<:?8 8C2:? @A6C2E:@?[ H:E9 D6>:\ECF4<D AF==:?8 :? J2C5D 2H2J 7C@> A6@A=6 4@>:?8 @FE @7 E96 DE@C6 H:E9 J2C5D @7 723C:4]k^Am
kAm#J=2?56C’D @?=:?6 3FD:?6DD :D DE:== E9C:G:?8 H:E9 4FDE@>6CD 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ] xE H2D 6DA64:2==J A@AF=2C 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4 H96? >@C6 A6@A=6 925 >@C6 E:>6 E@ D6H]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D?’E ;FDE 2 BF:=E:?8 DE@C6[ :E’D 2 7:36C\32D65 9@33J^2CE DE@C6] $96 2AA62=D E@ 2 3C@256C 2F5:6?46 2?5 286 8C@FA E9:D H2J] $96 H6=4@>6D D6H6CD[ BF:=E6CD[ 4C@DD\DE:E496CD[ <?:EE6CD[ H62G6CD 2?5 DA:??6CD]k^Am
kAm"F:=E6CD 2C6 FDF2==J :? E96 @=56DE 8C@FA[ 4C@DD\DE:E49 72?D 2C6 FDF2==J F?56C 286 c_ 2?5 E9@D6 H9@ =@G6 E@ <?:E 2C6 @7E6? 36EH66? 286D a_ 2?5 cd[ D96 D2JD] p=E9@F89 E96C6 2C6 A6@A=6 @7 2== 286D 6?E9FD:2DE:4 7@C 6249 D<:==]k^Am
kAm“~FC 8@2= :D E@ 36 2 7:36C 46?E6C 7@C A6@A=6 @7 2== 286D 2?5 65F42E6 :? 5:776C6?E E@A:4D[†D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ D@>6 @7 E96 d[___ 3@=ED @7 723C:4 2C6 72C>\E96>65 — 42E6C:?8 E@ H9:496G6C 4@=@C @7 EC24E@C J@F AC676C] $96 2=D@ 92D =:46?D65 723C:4D :?4=F5:?8 uup AC:?ED H:E9 E96 5:DE:?4E:G6 3=F6 ;24<6E] #J=2?56C DE@4<D 6G6CJE9:?8 7C@> r:G:= (2C C6AC@5F4E:@?D E@ >@56C? 723C:4D 7@C 2== 286D] %96 <:5D’ D64E:@? :D A@AF=2C]k^Am
Some of the 5,000 bolts of fabric.
Photo by Phyllis Coulter
kAm%96 36?67:E @7 92G:?8 2 723C:4 DE@C6 C2E96C E92? 2 7=@C:DE 3FD:?6DD :D E92E E96 D62D@?D 5@?’E 4@?7=:4E H:E9 72C>:?8 2D >F49] p 3:8 52J 7@C 7=@C:DED :D |@E96C’D s2J 2?5 yF?6 H655:?8D 42== 7@C 7=@H6CD[ H9:49 4@?7=:4ED H:E9 DAC:?8 A=2?E:?8] k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 72C>:?8 D62D@?[ E96J 92G6 >@C6 96=A ?@H H:E9 E96:C D@? s@F8 2?5 72C> 6>A=@J66 $96=5@? q2AE:DE[ H9:49 2=D@ 8:G6D #J=2?56C >@C6 E:>6 E@ 8C@H 96C 3FD:?6DD] s@F8 2=D@ 96=AD :? E96 DE@C6 2?5 :D 2 3:8 9:E H:E9 E96 4FDE@>6CD H96? 96 :D 4FEE:?8 723C:4[ 9:D >@> D2JD]k^Am
kAmsFC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4[ #J=2?56C 925 2 D6A2C2E6 C@@> E@ D6== D6H:?8 >249:?6D[ 8:G:?8 A6@A=6 >@C6 DA246] }@H H:E9 E96 =2E6DE FA52E6 2?5 6IA2?D:@? @7 e__ E@ f__ DBF2C6 766E[ E96 D6H:?8 >249:?6D H:== 36 :? 2 ?6H DA@E 2?5 E96:C 7@C>6C C@@> H:== 36 E96 65F42E:@? 46?E6C] $@>6 =6DD@?D H:== 36 D:>A=6 D6H:?8 @C <?:EE:?8 2?5 @E96CD H:== 36 >@C6 4@>A=6I AC@;64ED 7@C E9@D6 :?E6C6DE65]k^Am
kAm“u=6I:3:=:EJ†:D E96 <6J E@ >2<:?8 :E 2== H@C<] $96 92D 23@FE 2 5@K6? 6>A=@J66D 2E E96 723C:4 DE@C6 H:E9 2 DFCAC:D:?8 ?F>36C @7 E96> 36:?8 6?8:?66CD] (96? @?6 ?665D E@ DA6?5 E:>6 H:E9 49:=5C6?[ 8C2?549:=5C6?[ @C 5C:G6 2 4@>3:?6[ E96 @E96CD A:E49 :?] xE H@C<D =:<6 2 3:8 72>:=J]k^Am
kAm%96J 2=D@ 4@??64E H:E9 72?D 7C@> E96 |:5H6DE 2?5 2D 72C 2H2J 2D r2?252 2?5 &E29 E9C@F89 E96:C u2463@@< {:G6 AC@8C2>D 4@G6C:?8 2 G2C:6EJ @7 E@A:4D]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 96C6 7@C 7F?] xE >2J @C >2J ?@E 36 D4C:AE65[†D96 D2JD]k^Am
kAmxE’D 62DJ E@ D66 E92E 6>A=@J66D =:<6 |2CJ (2=4< 2C6 92G:?8 7F?]k^Am
kAm“$6H:?8 :D >J A2DD:@?[ ?@E >J 42C66C[†D2JD E96 C25:@8C2A96C 3J AC@76DD:@?] “x’G6 925 2 ?665=6 :? >J 92?5 D:?46 x H2D d J62CD @=5] x H2D >2<:?8 >J @H? 4=@E96D D:?46 x H2D `_]â€k^Am
kAmq6E9 D2JD 4@F=5 D96 ?6G6C >2<6 3@E9 E9:?8D H@C< H:E9@FE 72>:=J 2?5 E96 723C:4 D9@A E62>]k^Am
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
