The Heisman

The Heisman Trophy used to be something really special. It is so hard to single out one player for this prestigious award, maybe it is not so appropriate now?

The team concept was always important but it used to be, I think easier, to single out the performance of one player. Maybe it isn't now?

I never saw candidates performance come down to one game like it did yesterday.

I felt a little sorry for Tim Tebew, he gave his heart and soul and came up short. Colt McCoy is a good player but I am not sure he is worthy of the Heisman.

That defensive player for Nebraska impressed me as much as any one player and that Inghram for Alabama really sealed the deal for them this year.

I don't know, glad it isn't my pick.

When you look back at past winners you find great players, has beens and even a known murderer in the bunch. I guess that is going to happen over time.

2007 Tim Tebow Florida (Quarterback)

2006 Troy Smith Ohio State (Quarterback)

2005 Reggie Bush USC (Running Back)

2004 Matt Leinart USC (Quarterback)2003 Jason White Oklahoma (Quarterback)2002 Carson Palmer Southern California (Quarterback) 2001 Eric Crouch Nebraska (Quarterback) 2000 Chris Weinke Florida State (Quarterback)1999 Ron Dayne Wisconsin (Running Back) 1998 Ricky Williams Texas (Running Back) 1997 Charles Woodson Michigan (Cornerback) 1996 Danny Wuerffel Florida (Quarterback) 1995 Eddie George Ohio State (Running Back) 1994 Rashaan Salaam Colorado (Running Back) 1993 Charlie Ward Florida State (Quarterback) 1992 Gino Torretta Miami (Quarterback) 1991 Desmond Howard Michigan (Wide Receiver) 1990 Ty Detmer Brigham Young (Quarterback) 1989 Andre Ware Houston (Quarterback) 1988 Barry Sanders Oklahoma State (Running Back) 1987 Tim Brown Notre Dame (Wide Receiver) 1986 Vinny Testaverde Miami (Quarterback) 1985 Bo Jackson Auburn (Running Back) 1984 Doug Flutie Boston College (Quarterback) 1983 Mike Rozier Nebraska (Running Back) 1982 Herschel Walker Georgia (Running Back) 1981 Marcus Allen Southern California (Running Back) 1980 George Rogers South Carolina (Running Back) 1979 Charles White Southern California (Running Back)1978 Billy Sims Oklahoma (Running Back) 1977 Earl Campbell Texas (Running Back) 1976 Tony Dorsett Pittsburgh (Running Back) 1975 Archie Griffin Ohio State (Running Back) 1974 Archie Griffin Ohio State (Running Back) 1973 John Cappelletti Penn State (Running Back) 1972 Johnny Rodgers Nebraska (Wide Receiver) 1971 Pat Sullivan Auburn (Quarterback) 1970 Jim Plunkett Stanford (Quarterback) 1969 Steve Owens Oklahoma (Running Back) 1968 O.J. Simpson Southern California (Running Back) 1967 Gary Beban UCLA (Quarterback) 1966 Steve Spurrier Florida (Quarterback) 1965 Mike Garrett Southern California (Running Back) 1964 John Huarte Notre Dame (Quarterback) 1963 Roger Staubach Navy (Quarterback) 1962 Terry Baker Oregon State (Quarterback) 1961 Ernie Davis Syracuse (Running Back) 1960 Joe Bellino Navy (Running Back) 1959 Billy Cannon LSU (Running Back) 1958 Peter Dawkins Army (Running Back)1957 John David Crow Texas A&M (Running Back) 1956 Paul Hornung Notre Dame (Quarterback) 1955 Howard Cassady Ohio State (Running Back) 1954 Alan Ameche Wisconsin (Fullback)1953 John Lattner Notre Dame (Running Back) 1952 Billy Vessels Oklahoma (Running Back) 1951 Dick Kazmaier Princeton (Running Back) 1950 Vic Janowicz Ohio State (Running Back) 1949 Leon Hart Notre Dame (End) 1948 Doak Walker Southern Methodist (Running Back) 1947 John Lujack Notre Dame (Quarterback)1946 Glenn Davis Army (Running Back) 1945 Felix Blanchard Army (Fullback)1944 Les Horvath Ohio State (Quarterback/Running Back) 1943 Angelo Bertelli Notre Dame (Quarterback) 1942 Frank Sinkwich Georgia (Running Back) 1941 Bruce Smith Minnesota (Running Back) 1940 Tom Harmon Michigan (Running Back) 1939 Nile Kinnick Iowa (Running Back)1938 Davey O'Brien Texas Christian (Quarterback)1937 Clint Frank Yale (Running Back) 1936 Larry Kelley Yale (End) 1935 Jay Berwanger Chicago (Running Back)

Ed

December Day

It looks like a typical December day in southwest Ohio.

Temperature is in the 20's, cloudy, harvested cornstalks out the office window.

Busy with farm management, marketing, taxes, planning 2010 etc. Lots of good college games on today, wish the Crimson Tide could upset Tebow and company but that is just me. I like to see number two beat number one, unless it is the Buckeyes of course!

The Elf was very tired last night but laughed out loud when she saw my elf family picture. I couldn't find a good elf picture, anyone got a better one?

I have seen better ones at Grant's farm when I visited or dressed as Santa. My deep voice tends to run some little ones away! I developed quite a voice over the years trying to keep my students in line!

Matt got his Ohio apples in, peanut brittle and Barbeque Sauce. His Florida citrus comes in tomorrow. He and Danny and Jason will take Danny's forklift and pull the pallets off the semi fresh from Florida into the cool shop so the students can start making deliveries tomorrow. It makes perfect sense to an old teacher who unloaded many a semi over the years. Amazing what FFA and other non profits will do for fund raisers.

We started selling Florida citrus my first year of teaching in 1971 so Ohio FFA is close to 40 years of selling it for fundraising activities. You wouldn't beleive all the things that profit buys for youth and other nonprofits.

LuAnn is having an open house for my 60th birthday on December 19th, 1-4 pm. You are all invited! We need to get invitations out today but you read it first on HyMark High Spots!

The best thing Matt said was he couldn't come because he would be with his Parliamentary Procedure team in Columbus that day for the state finals! They won District 9 Thursday night at Western Brown. I said tell those young people to win one for me!

Now if I can psyched for the Ohio NoTill Conference in Plain City Tuesday. Hope to see some of you there!

Ed Winkle

Elf Mode

LuAnn is in Elf Mode. You should see it but you probably have somewhere.

Elf Mode is people who are so tied up in Christmas they just go head over heels in decorating.

I got back home from scouting and the whole house was different. Cleaning, new decorations, you get the picture.

The scouting trip was good. The wheat and barley looks good though it is planted a little late from where I would want it. Still, it looks good.

The farm fields look so good in the 30 mile trip. Heavy corn fodder, good soybean residue, new wheat and a few barley plantings.

We had a good year. Even more enthusiasm for Elf Mode.

I stopped at John Deere and got a backhoe for one of the grandsons. 1/32 scale mind you, not the full sized model.

I picked up her laptop at work because her computer died. Blue screen of death. I warned her but she has to get there to fully appreciate my so-called wisdom.

Mr. Computer Tech, where are you after I called you last week?

I need to get into Elf Mode, lots to buy yet for my favorites. I have been in farm management mode since harvest and now into Presentation Mode. I hope Tuesday comes out OK, have even dreamed about it. How can I convince the audience on the need for balanced fertility, let alone for a cover crop, so the next crop comes out better than expected?

That is what I am thinking.

What are you thinking?

Your comments have been few lately.

Is anyone listening or am I speaking to a Black Hole???

Ed

Apples

Ohio apples are hard to beat. I made a trip down to A&M Orchard a few miles away and no one was there but me!

Their apples beat grocery store apples two to one.

I had the four brothers from that farm when I started teaching and they all earned the State FFA Degree. The oldest brother has run the farm for years now.

They raise red's, golden's, Jonathon, Fuji and Stayman Winesap among a few others.

Liam loves their apples and strawberries, remember that story this summer?

Family traditions are those special moments in life that bridge generations, and few traditions have greater impact than a family outing to the apple orchard.
We welcome your family to the orchards of Ohio:

Pick your own apples
Wagon rides into the orchard
Over 50 varieties of heirloom and traditional apples
watch the apples as they are pressed into sweet, delicious apple cider

From The Ohio Apples Website:

http://www.ohioapples.com/

I see my friend Ron Irons is still at it:
Irons Fruit Farm Holiday Activities
Irons Fruit Farm
Make A Mini-Gingerbread House (Group Rate Available)
November 29-30
December 6-7, 13-14, 20-21
Hours: Saturday 10:00 am-5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm - 5:00pm

Ron was an active member of the Warren County Fruit and Vegetable Growers when I was Extension Agent there.

Adae's asked how our crops did and I told them. He said his field of corn went 269 bu per acre. It is tiled on 25 ft centers, the best money they ever spent. They got it in the ground in April when most fields were too wet to plant. We had a few entries that yielded that much but not the whole field. My best whole field is 245 bu in 2004 and soybeans 81 bushels in 2006. I will take the lower average on more acres.

I beat him on beans though, his went 54, ours went 58 on lots of acres. Farmers like a little friendly competition.

Enjoy an apple today and if you live in Ohio, make sure it is grown there.

Ed

Small World

We have all said the words, Small World. It usually happens when we meet someone from home when we are far away or we find out someone knows someone we know or is even related to them or us.

I ran into that today. I was scouting wheat before it started raining and found a deer hunter and introduced myself.

Finding any deer? No, but I am looking. I am Ed Winkle. Really, I am Ralph Stegbauer. I met Ralph and Rick many years ago near Fayetteville and have traded with their dad Jim.

We both have aged over the years but the resemblance was still there. A few words and it was confirmed.

We caught up on family and such. He was a John Deere mechanic than worked for Airborne Express until they closed.

The more we talked the more we knew someone in common to both of us.

I had taught agricultural education all my life, then extension and now am farming.

The world of agriculture has become such a small world. Farms are so large and there are so few people involved you can easily get to know people in your industry across the world.

Something like 10% of the farmers produce 90% of the commodities sold.

I share as much with my friends in Australia somedays as we used to with the neighbors who lived within miles of us 50 years ago.

It has really become a small world.

Ed Winkle

Automobile Accidents with Deer

"According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration there are about 1.5 million car accidents with deer each year that result in $1 billion in vehicle damage, about 150 human fatalities, and over 10,000 personal injuries.

The actual numbers are probably higher because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's figures for deer accidents, rely on inconsistent state reporting- there is no standard reporting of deer accidents in the country yet, and a "reportable deer accident" varies significantly between states.

In an insurance claims statistics study conducted in 2004-2005 the top ten states for deer accidents were listed. According to this study, Pennsylvania drivers experience more deer collisions than any other state. The number of accidents increases with the deer migrating and mating season which occurs between the months of October and December.

Worst states for deer collisions based on total number of claims filed with one of the countries largest auto insurers:

1 Pennsylvania

2 Michigan

3 Illinois

4 Ohio

5 Georgia

6 Minnesota

7 Virginia

8 Indiana

9 Texas

10 Wisconsin

Tips to avoid deer accidents:

1) Be attentive when driving! And Slow Down!

2) Use high-beam headlights when driving in deer territory to increase your vision and will increase your time to react to a deer hiding on the roadside who decides to jump in front of your car.

3) The use of car-mounted 'deer whistles,' do not seem to affect deer and may result in drivers being less aware. These devices don't work! Watch out!

4) If a collision with a deer is unavoidable, it is usually best not to swerve to avoid it, brake and hold the wheel straight. Turning the wheel to avoid the deer may result in a worse accident with another car, or cause the car to spin out of control resulting a in much more serious crash.

Accidents are hard to avoid but many are preventable with good thinking and planning.

Ed Winkle

World record deer taken in Clarksville Ohio?

The story I heard is not the same as this one, but this one will make you wonder!

"On October 19th, 2009, an Ohio hunter took this spectacular non-typical which is said to boast nearly 320" of bone on his head! While the staff here at Bowhunting.Com slightly disagrees with these early estimates, we have no doubt he topples the 280" mark.

The hunter, who's name has yet to be identified, reportedly even has the match set from this buck after last years shed season, those antlers go 260"!

The hunting community as a whole is not yet sure on the weapon that was used, however early speculation is that the giant was taken with a crossbow.Little more information is known at this time on this whitetails chances of becoming the new world record non-typical whitetail buck taken with a bow.

The staff at Bowhunting.Com is dedicated to bringing this story to the surface and will hopefully be updating this story as it further develops. If you have any information on this possible record buck please don't hesitate to send it our way.

You can email us at info@bowhunting.com.http://www.bowhunting.com/blog/post/...y-Hunter!.aspx

One of my grain truckers just gave me the rumor from his dad. Brandon is down in Logan, Ohio, tagging in four. He said he shot 13. I asked if he put a big slug in them and he said YES. They won't be running into our cars and trucks then.

Now if seems like cruel and unusal punishment to Bambi, let me tell you it is NOT. Farmers have had to incorporate farming methods to stay profitable that have just let the deer and other wildlife go rampant.

Are you willing to give your life, a family member or friend up to a rampant over population of wildlife?

I am not.

Ed