Monarch butterflies surge in Chicago as they migrate. Why cities could be key to saving them.

My son has been raising caterpillars over the past month, and he's had me driving all over the state to get more milkweed. Was clipping leaves out on I-80 the other day, and some wacko farmer wearing Northwestern shorts and a rainbow-colored shirt that read "University of MENtana: The REAL Grizzlies" came out hollering at me, all this "What in tarnation you thank yer doin?" stuff. Anyway, it's been fun, and it's good to see my seventh-grade son taking an interest in this.

That must of been Bob. I wear Northwestern shirts and Montana State Jorts.

I hate immoral growers.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Fuck the Griz! Go Cats!

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Damn right.

1-800-MILKWEED !

Why didn't you just plant some from seed? I would think it's a pretty quick growing plant.

Or I could be wrong.

And, Go Cats!

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

That's a funny story tommy. I was chased off by a farmer looking for milkweed when I was a student. It was his property, and we were traspassing sort of thing. Actually followed for awhile to make sure we were really leaving.

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Why are only 14 percent of black CPS 11th-graders proficient in English?

I think it would. It will grown anywhere that is disturbed enough to kill competition but not disturb it. I think we have several varieties out here.

I did. We have a couple varieties. But we didn't have the kind with the huge leaves (common milkweed), and these caterpillars eat like pigs. There is some here in Beverly, so we clipped some leaves, but my son wanted the "adventure" of going to central Illinois. (We actually went down by Champaign. Then we did stuff there.)

Also, milkweed isn't the prettiest plant . . . but next year, we'll grow what we have and the kind with the huge leaves. I'll be guerrilla gardening, too, since we have a tiny yard.

Holy shit!

In this case, I was just making fun of Drunk Squirrel. However, as I have told the Inebriated Rodent before, farmers have gotten a little confused when they saw me taking photos of the area. I can't blame them, but I'm like, it just looks so beautiful, I need a photo....

I think it’s a pretty cool looking plant, very delicate flowers kind you but I always think bought the pods they produced were cool. Had an elementary schoolteacher that was all about nature walks and stuff so we would go to fenns and forest preserves and stuff

It's kinda cool that in 10-15 years you and your son will have a wacky story about travelling the state looking to harvest weeds like guerrillas.

Reminiscing about odd experiences like that have already been a great source of laughter with my oldest son this summer.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Those Chicagoans never crawled around a bean field at 6am before it got too hot pulling that smelly-ass shit up by the root so it wouldn't grow back.

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You know me like that.

Milkweed isn’t as bad as some of the amaranths. Gd I hate walking beans.

Gymsum weed was my least favorite. That would stain through your gloves and make your hands green.

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You know me like that.

The smell of that one makes me sick to my stomach, even if I just mow it and I’m in a cab tractor. We don’t have much in our crop fields anymore. One cattle lot..well, Might be more Gymsum than grass before I disk it down to do a summer forage to soak up the nutrients (cow shit).

But Spiney Amaranth is my devil plant. Has 2 inch spines all over the stalk and they will punch through all but the thickest gloves. God I love wearing thick leather gloves when it’s 90 degrees out. Hope you bastards enjoyed your black beans at chipotle.

My wife gets 'pillars for her classroom as well, and I have a bumper crop of milkweed in the ditch this year. I usually cut that area with the old sickle mower on the antique JD, must spread the seeds. We have a butterfly bush planted right next to the house, that does a better job attracting all types of flittery critters.

I'm fighting another outbreak of giant ragweed in the vineyard, first set of leaves is two feet up, so above the weed sprayer tips, that crap grows like a foot a day when this warm.

Definitely--any time you can spend with your kids when you're both engaged is simply a good thing.

That ragweed nearly killed a guy I used to work with. He had the worst allergy I have ever seen, and apparently his throat used to close up.

Guy has a wheat field near here. I think he’s trying to transition it organic but it won’t work. Filed probably floods 2/3 years when we don’t get monsoon rains like we’ve been getting the last 5 years. Anywho, it’s first crop he’s planted in 3 years and the giantvragweed is impressive. They had a big Claas combine come in and is there are just islands of 6-8 foot giant ragweed clumps all over. And cattails in the low area. Place needs to build a lake on about 10-15 percent of the ground to hold the worst waters andvopen up a duck hunting club.

We have some muck ground east of where our pond is, some great yields IF you can get it planted and harvested. Easier now with newer equipment than the old days, I hand picked a lot of corn off of that field as a kid. This was not one of those years, we got 6 inches of rain over a three hour period mid June, about ten acres under water. The field was no-till, going from corn to soybeans this year, pre-plant spray applied. We just went with the no-plant option as far as the crop insurance, since it still is not all dried out. Somehow, the giant ragweed has filled in and covers about 80% of the field, now about four feet tall. I,too am allergic to it. When brush chopping, my eyes swell up, sneezing, etc. I'll get this stuff early this year, see how it likes the chisel plow!

I'm envious. Seriously.



Still envious.

Walking beans was way better than corn detasseling. Did both as a yoot. Hard work but good money for a 12-15 year old. As soon as I turned 16, I got a "real" part time job in a pizzeria.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

I will have 70 acres of second crop tofu bound soybeans that will be needing walking in August most likely. Have a neighbor who I’m sure will be looking for help with his buttonweed outbreak in his beans. Sorry, the Amish are done with the pumpkins as far as I can tell.