Spring Has Not Sprung

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Partners & Friends,

We are in a consistent pattern waiting for planting to begin. We have plenty of work to keep us occupied, but as of April 5th, we can plant and be in compliance with crop insurance guidelines. Soil temperatures are still very chilly, and now that we have finally received 2-3 inches of rain, field conditions are quite saturated. It will be several days until they dry out, and even more precipitation is in the forecast for this week. That being said, our best stands and yields usually come from crops planted in mid to late April. We will be positioned to spray and plant in an efficient manner so we can take advantage of the weather windows that present themselves. All of us at the Hess Family Farm are keeping busy preparing a safe, enclosed chemical mixing area, hauling soybeans to clean out seed bean bins, trimming overgrown trees, and finishing office duties before planting and our spring safety meeting with all players involved in operations.

The wait for the GREET CO2 modeling guidelines from DC continues; we need them before we can move forward with carbon scoring of our fields. There is much legislative positioning taking place in Springfield concerning CCS. Revisions to the Illinois estate tax laws are being considered and sorely needed. The Baltimore Bridge collapse has caused issues with distribution of some agriculture supplies and fertilizers.

Phyllis served as an election judge in the Illinois primary elections. The family all celebrated a wonderful and joyous Resurrection weekend. We are now binge watching the newly released season 4 of The Chosen. 😊

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.46

Soybeans—11.69

Think and pray for spring!

Steve

Time Treasures

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Partners & Friends,

This past week we had a local “treasure” hunter contact us and ask permission to search former building sites with his metal detector. All he has inspected so far is our Checkrow farm, which had a schoolhouse on one corner for over 100 years as well as a house and farmstead site on the property. Included in the pictures are some of the treasures: many coins, including pennies, nickels and V-nickels, and dimes, along with silverware, a bracelet with the name Perry, belt buckles, and buttons from the late 1800’s. Our family loves history. Holding these treasures in your hand can stir a feeling of wonderment about what the story is behind each piece. Who were the owners, how was each item obtained, and how did they end up in the earth? Kudos to Kyle for having the patience and desire to search and explore our past!

We are currently preparing for spring with ideal conditions. The lack of moisture is a bit of a concern, but we are receiving some nice spring thunderstorms as I write this. We have finished 2 big tiling projects that both involved major main outlets through our neighbors’ property. The Hess Family Farm team is finishing up NH3 application on a few more acres allotted to corn, as the economy is leaning toward greater profit from corn this season. We’re leveling up the fields we have tiled over the past few years to get them in condition to leave until led in the future. We are also seeding a few CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) acres along with some pollinator habitat. In addition to all that, the team is hooking up the planters and preparing them to go to the field. Planting will commence around April 5th. We do hope for moisture before then; I believe we are back on the drought map area.

There is much talk about carbon as of late. We attended a farmer meeting last week learning how we can “pay the farmer” to keep carbon in the soil. Although it makes a lot of sense, it requires another layer of planning and management on our part as well as a lot of data verification. We are anxiously waiting for the new GREET guidelines to be published, which will govern how carbon credits are measured and compensated for. There will be ample discussion around this next year, so stay tuned.🙂 I will not quit talking about carbon anytime soon…anything to avoid pipelines!

Our family is staying busy with science fairs, college visits, goat sales, visits to Florida, and plenty of other academic and sport activities. Time truly does fly by quickly. 😓

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.47

Soybeans—11.59

Keep in touch,

Steve

5 Things

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Partners & Friends,

Marcus recently returned from the Ag View Executive Business Conference, which we all usually try to attend annually. This is an agriculture business consulting firm that advises on management, succession planning, transitions, marketing, and operational efficiencies. A subscriber based podcast called 19 Minutes summed up the meeting quite well by defining the 5 things that make a business wise and worthwhile to invest in. They are as follows:

1. Holding your business to a high degree of professionalism

2. Taking continuing education seriously for management and team members

3. Taking time off to rest and refresh

4. Meeting new and interesting people

5. Developing key metric and performance measures to track operational success

At Hess Family Farm, we do our best to consistently incorporate these guidelines into what we do and who we are. Most of these measures could apply to our own personal lives as well.

On the farm, we are hauling seed beans for Becks to ElPaso and have delivered 14 loads so far. The weather looks good enough to resume tiling again this week. Office work includes preparing for taxes, finishing up crop input planning, and finalizing record procedures for 2024. We are looking into a grain dryer update, as well as attending a few more farm meetings to help plan for the 2024 corn and soybean crop.

AI will be influencing many aspects of agriculture and our lives in the future. A speaker noted that it will revolutionize modern-day farming in the same way that machinery and other technological equipment replaced horses in the fields last century. Brazil is rapidly harvesting their soy crop and planting safrinha corn as fast as possible to catch the rain needed. Weather prospects for the approaching spring planting season predict short, intermittent planting windows. The spring crop insurance prices for corn and beans are being set during the month of February and are considerably lower than last year.

Phyllis and I wrapped up our Christmas visits with a trip to Asheville last week to visit Ali. We also got to see Phil in Florida for a couple of days, and the time away from the cold and snow was enjoyed.

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.10

Soybeans—10.67

Steve 

Great Finish

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Partners & Friends,

Phyllis and I attended the UChicago convocation activities last weekend to watch Alison Elaine Hess walk the stage! It was a wonderful couple of days with a reception at the Museum of Science and Industry on Friday night, a huge convocation Saturday morning, and the diploma ceremony that Saturday afternoon. Ali has completed another chapter in her life and now is onto the next. She is living in Asheville and working remotely for Berkeley Academy. Way to go Ali!🎉

The farm has yet to receive any rain. We have completed corn spraying, NH3 application, and haying the first time around. It is already almost time for the second cutting of alfalfa. The first cutting of grass hay was about 20% less than last year due to moisture reduction. The corn is starting to roll a little bit in the hot afternoons to protect itself. The Hess Family Farm team and I will begin spraying beans very soon; we’re hoping for a solid rain shower so they can take off and canopy to help with weed control. We just finished replanting a few thin spots, and some rain will be needed to bring those seeds up as well. 

Commodity markets do not seem to be paying much attention to the weather. We’re certainly not seeing the usual Father’s Day selling opportunity. Crude prices have firmed with the Saudi production cut announcement. The dam disruption in Ukraine will cause some crop production where the water was counted on for irrigation. 

Goat show season, softball, summer jobs, camps, and other festivities are here and keeping our family busy. The Peer group meeting is in the state of Washington next week. Independence Day will be here shortly!

Fall Prices:

Corn—5.11

Soybeans—11.53

Stay cool!

Steve

One of a Kind

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Partners & Friends,

Summer is upon us! Graduation season is in full swing. We have known and employed some wonderful students over the years. Today, I want to take a minute to recognize an employee who is a high school senior this year. Justin Daniel Runyan has been helping us at Hess Family Farm for about 4 years. He can do anything mechanical, weld superbly, drive any vehicle, solve any motor problem, and is just an all-around awesome follower of Christ. Justin helps with any and every task asked of him with full energy and engagement. We can make a similar claim about several other employees, students, and friends that have come up through the ranks over the years. The Lord has truly blessed us with some talented, timely hands these past several decades. We could not do what we do without you!

We are fervently applying NH3 before the corn outgrows our ability to drive through; the corn is in a growth stage where it doubles in height every week. We have completed harvest of our alfalfa and are currently working on several acres of grass hay from the many waterways we maintain. Additionally, the Hess Family Farm team is now starting to spray the second pass of corn herbicides to keep the fields weed-free. There are also the last calves to get out to pasture, as well as a bit of replant to do in areas where water saturated the soil during the heavy rain we received a few weeks ago. We have had no rain over the past 12 days, and the forecast is looking dry for the next couple of weeks. There is an old saying that states a dry June helps deep root the crop for a better outcome. Hopefully Snodgrass is right in that, and the El Niño pattern will give us moisture during the last part of June. Lastly, thanks to my brother-in-law, Phil Doll, who traveled from Michigan to help us for a few weeks, the Hess Family Farm managed to custom seed a couple hundred acres of CRP fields. Phil’s help gave us a huge boost this month!

I am keeping an eye on energy and fertilizer prices. At some point, this decline will turn and it will be time to lock-in needs for 2024 crop. The farm bill debate is heating up in DC. It appears that the Ukrainian war could last for years. The national labor shortage is a real thing—even down on the farm.

Summer break is almost here as end-of-school activities conclude. Phyllis and I are looking forward to attending Convocation at the University of Chicago on June 3rd next weekend. Ali Elaine Hess has earned her Bachelors degree and we are so excited to be there to witness her receiving her diploma! She has already put her degree to work by accepting employment with Berkeley2Academy as a college admissions counselor, and has moved to Asheville, North Carolina to begin this next chapter of her life. Summer camps, jobs, and sports are in play for the grandchildren. 

Fall Prices:

Corn—5.15

Soybeans—11.65

Enjoy summer!

Steve