Grain Bin Mural Promotes Agriculture

Grain bin mural promotes agriculture AG WORLD Ag World 9-2-19 "I've wanted to do this ever since we moved here," says Sharon Carlson, who lives on a farm near Wataga, Ill. What Sharon wanted to do was to promote agriculture by painting a slogan, "Agriculture . . . America's Heartbeat," on one of the grain bins on the farm operated by her and her husband Larry. The Carlsons' farm is next to Interstate 74, a natural site to promote a message and to reach a large number of people. Sharon designed the mural to complement the corrugated metal of the grain bin. The mural includes a red barn and silo, a blue barn roof with white stars, four lines (representing furrows) and lettering in black. At first Sharon intended to paint the bin herself, but then decided to involve others in the project. The Galesburg Agency for Local Art, in nearby Galesburg, funded the project. Teenagers Steve Edwards and Jim Norris, Galesburg art students, did the painting. A local agricultural supply firm donated the paint. "I wanted it to be a joint effort to promote agriculture in a positive way," says Sharon of the 10 by 15-foot mural. She hopes the idea of murals promoting farming catches on elsewhere.

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