Remembering the Past

/

Partners and friends,

I attended The Half Century of Progress Show in Rantoul at the old Air Force base this past week. There were acres and acres of equipment from over 50 years ago and over 5,000 UTV's on the grounds to look things over. My friend Chuck and I watched over 30 corn pickers in action and 5 corn shellers at work and numerous tractors and moldboard plows turn soil over. There was no carbon saved at that show. :) I give a big hats-off to the dedication and effort of the organization that puts on that show every other year. In observing all the events going on I am reminded of those who have gone before me and the sweat and innovation and development and refinement of the machines to make agriculture more productive and efficient. I can remember picking ear corn and 2,000 bushels was a big day—now we do that in less than an hour! I felt proud to think of those who have gone before and created the agriculture system we have in the world today, and how if there is food shortage in the world it is not because of supply, but is a distribution issue.

We are finishing up summer projects--tile repair, equipment maintenance, end of crop year bookkeeping, waterway repair, mowing, and tiling where crops are not in the way. The crop is rapidly maturing and from the looks of it, this corn crop will be one of the best ever. Beans are benefiting from some of the spotty showers this past week and are filling nicely. We are targeting a start date of mid-September. We have picked up a few part-time high school and college team members to round out the staff. Our annual fall safety meeting is on the schedule for September 8th. The bin project for corn drying is mostly complete. We have been told the new storage bin we ordered might not be delivered till late October. Will it get erected in time to use this harvest? Stay tuned.

Globally, grain supply is tightening up a bit. We foresee commodity prices staying elevated for a year or two. Brazil is preparing to plant more acres of soybeans than ever before. Weather concerns are popping up all around the globe—too wet or too dry. Climate change has been going on since the earth was created. Mankind now thinks he can control it by throwing money at it.

Family is well. Kennett is growing quite well. Show season is over. School is starting for everyone except Ali, who does not go back till late September. Phyllis and I had a nice getaway weekend on our anniversary.

Fall Prices:

Corn 5.44

SB 13.13


Keep in touch! Comments always welcomed.

Steve

First Fruits!

/

Partners and Friends,

Harvest has begun! We picked around 600 acres of corn in the past week. Yields are variable and tile paid off big time this year! We are finding that the fields in which we have installed tile are producing significantly larger yields than those without tile. The moisture is still high-between 22% to 26% . The stalk strength is a bit concerning and the ears detach very easily when the stalk is jarred. We are working to keep the dryer running this week and began bean harvest today. From what we have heard so far, the bean yields are looking good! Considering the fact that there is no rain in the forecast for the next 2 weeks we believe harvest will progress very rapidly. The harvest crew attended the fall safety meeting (socially distanced, of course!) and we look forward to some enjoyable time in the field. We are still finishing up some summer projects but overall the beginning days of harvest are going as smooth as can be expected. We always welcome visits, please contact us if you would like to get involved!

The agriculture economy is in a state of flux with China at the moment. There is a lot of importation of agricultural products at the moment. The derecho in Iowa a few weeks ago has affected may farmers, did not end up reducing the corn crop. The stimulus wrangling in DC is causing concerns for overall recovery of the economy and as farmers we are trying to adjust to new paradigms in the food system. Many of these changes are here to stay. These tremendous adjustments in the economy are going to become the new normal.

The family is doing well! School is in full swing, as much as it can be due to the constantly changing protocols regarding the virus. Thankfully, Phyllis’ shoulder is healing remarkably well after her surgery. 

Fall prices

Corn--3.67

SB--10.34

Stay safe and keep in touch! Let us know how you are adopting to all this change!

Prayers and thoughts,

Steve

2020

/

Partners & Friends,

Here in this season we pause to reflect on the past year and plan ahead for the next. We are constantly asking ourselves how we can make the operation more sustainable, do more with less, be more efficient, increase our margins, determine what our core competencies are and best utilize our resources. Here are some of our thoughts heading into next year.

  • Tile—our highest yields consistently come from the ground that is patterned drained. Earlier planting, more even stands, better root development, easier harvest and less soil compaction all add up to increase the ROI 

  • Seed Beans—raising seed gets us the newest and best varieties with the most yield potential, but means weed control must be tip-top, bin space is an issue, and combine clean-out on hot afternoons is the most unpleasant 

  • Equipment Efficiency—keeping track of hours per power unit and repair cost of each piece of equipment gives information about cost to operate, when it’s time to replace, and do we need it

  • Less Tillage—part of the effort to make the land more sustainable is fewer trips, less compaction, and covering more acres with existing labor

  • Management Zones—part of the strategy of our multi-hybrid planter is investing in the parts of fields with the most profit potential and accepting the lower-yielding areas for what they are

  • Marketing—this past season reinforced that we must take advantage of opportunities to lock in profit and that the market is always right

  • Human Resources—our most valuable commodity is people—team members, suppliers, grain originators, landowners; those relationships must be nurtured and maintained

There are lots of details involved in this list that must be managed for the bottom line to be positively affected. That's what our job is-to bring everything together to allow this 150 year-old business to carry on to the next generation. We appreciate all who are a part of this endeavor that allows us to keep our dream jobs.

It appears the trade talks have negotiated a Phase One deal. We anxiously await seeing all the details on paper and signed. The general economy seems so strong with the labor marker so tight. Hopefully this next year’s major weather anomaly will be somewhere else in the world. :)

We are all celebrating this Christmas season with family and friends while enjoying all the blessings we have been given by a very generous Creator. Lindsay is due with their 4th child any day now. Ali is dog and cat sitting close to college campus. Preparing for bringing in 2020 with family and friends.

Have a Great Contented New Year!

Steve

Grateful

/

Partners & friends,

Thinking about all we have been challenged with this past year, this job is still a dream job. There are several things I am so thankful for.

  • For ancestors that weren't afraid of hard work and perseverance in the face of weather, economic and social issues

  • For rural America and the peace and tranquility we are afforded in this setting

  • For the opportunities to work with this beautiful plant and animal creation every day

  • For friends and neighbors who live out loving, serving and caring

  • For  freedom of religion and the wonderful community of believers we are in

  • For healthy Christ-seeking children and grandchildren 

  • For living in a country where we openly and freely choose who will govern us

  • For a loving God who loves and forgives me every day

Here on the farm we are in the midst of office crunch time. Paying year end bills, analyzing the past years crops, choosing seed and chemicals and crop rotations for this next season, and figuring out how to do more with less this next year, are a part of the processes we go through every year at this time. Outside the office we are cleaning equipment, hauling grain, helping some neighbors finish harvest, and constantly repairing tractors, trucks and combines. Our eleven head of cattle need to be fed and cared for each day. This is also the season for seed, marketing and management meetings.

As discombobulated as world politics seem my history reading reminds me that this is the way world governments have always been. Producing and protecting food supplies have been priorities for all civilizations. Trade wars have always been present. And world leaders have always recognized that a well-fed populace is easier to govern.

This is the season for Christmas programs. School and church programs remind us of why we celebrate and proclaim great joy from the Birth 2000 years ago. A real story for the ages. Ali has completed first quarter of her sophomore year. Looking forward to some time with family and friends these next few weeks.

Steve

Wildlife

/

11/17/19 update: Done @ 5 pm yesterday! What a season 2019 has been. Looking forward to a new year and learning from the lessons of this one.

Partners,

Each year at harvest time we get to appreciate—and be frustrated by—the amount of wild critters that are all around us. Some of our fields have up to 10% damage from turkeys, deer, or raccoons. The loss is more substantial in Fulton County, but almost all of our fields are close enough to some trees or stream or railroad that there are some signs of wildlife. While harvesting this past week I got some good pictures of the animal damage—with snow as a background—so I thought I would share. The financial loss is not talked about much and hard to quantify but on the yield maps the spots really stick out.

As of this morning (Friday), harvest is about two days from over. We have been picking corn on snow-covered ground this week. Thankfully there was little on the plants themselves. Snow and combine sieves don't mix well in freezing weather. The yields of the June planted corn are very average. This will be our lowest average corn yield since 2012. We finished beans this past Friday when we harvested the third planting on the bottom ground at my house (planted July 13th). They yielded a respectable 46bpa which seems incredible with that late of a planting date. We give thanks and praise for some growing anomalies. Marcus started NH3 application this week with our new-to-us tractor. We appreciate a big front wheel assist tracked tractor in the hard pull heave tillage. Using this tractor should allow us to plant directly into the NH3 strips next spring and eliminate some tillage, labor, fuel and time.


Commodity prices are drifting sideways in a typical, slow, drawn-out harvest scenario. We are not watching TV coverage of the going-ons in DC. Congress has had the USMCA on the agenda since last winter and now it looks like they don't have time to pass a trade agreement that will help our commerce.


School snow days in November don't happen too often. The extreme cold this early puts a fast spin on chores for the horses and cows. This past Sunday we enjoyed a violin recital.


Fall prices:

Corn 3.71

Soybeans 9.12


Keep in touch,

Steve