Biology Technology

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Partners,

We finally got a break last weekend with the first significant rainfall in over six weeks. Fields were very dry and the soil was hard before this welcomed relief. We needed the time to rest and repair. Harvest progress stands at 35% corn and 65% beans. Yields have been pleasantly surprising; corn and beans will be among the top three harvests for our farm. We will be harvesting some of our less productive and replanted fields last, so we're not sure where they will come in.

Plant technology has been in the news on a couple of fronts lately. 

Syngenta (a global Swiss agribusiness that produces agrochemicals and seeds) announced a $1.3 billion settlement for putting a new corn trait technology in fields in 2013 that was not yet approved by China. China rejected several shipments of corn that fall claiming they were tainted. My thoughts are that in reality China bought some very high priced corn in the price run-up of that period, and by canceling these contracts they could replace it with cheaper corn after seeing the market reaction to the news. 

Monsanto has also been in the news this growing season with their Extend soybean technology release. These soybeans are resistant to Dicambia herbicide which gives us another mode of action for weed control in this crop. We personally planted Extend beans in 2016 for seed to sell to a major seed company, and were very impressed with their performance. Also with the increased weed pressure we have been facing, having access to another mode of chemical action will give us another option in the herbicide toolbox to battle some of the Roundup resistant weeds like Tall Waterhemp and Marestail. There have been many lawsuits filed after complaints of drift during this 2017 growing season and some states are suggesting very restrictive dates of use for next season. We will see where the dust settles on Dicamba beans for 2018.

My guess is that both of these issues will make some attorneys very wealthy, with farmers getting leftovers of settlement dollars and options for cutting edge technology.

The family is doing well. Alison's volleyball team won their senior night game, Phyllis's brother Phil was back for a class reunion, and we got to witness and celebrate a beautiful family wedding in Columbus, Ohio.

Fall prices:

Corn 3.13

Soybeans 9.27

Keep in touch and stay safe!

Steve

Haze & Hurricanes

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Partners,

What an interesting month! On Labor Day Phyllis and I noticed how funny colored the sky was, especially in the afternoon. Turns out it was smoke from fires out west. Then seeing Harvey and Irma move thru the South was an experience of a lifetime--so much power and fury! While avoiding natural disasters, we are busy finishing up summer projects: mowing, building repairs, equipment storage and readiness, grain hauling, storage readiness, and cattle upkeep. We just started corn harvest yesterday and are experiencing the usual startup kinks. Better now than in 2 weeks! Corn is doing well yield-wise (over 200 BPA) but is still high in moisture (27%). Should be a good harvest if weather cooperates.

Ag outlook seems steady for now. Land prices seem to have stabilized in Illinois and the good harvest should help farmer moods, but prices are really tanking due to the yields. USDA has been predicting good crops nationwide (there are some pockets of drought and excess water) and as it turns out they were accurate with their system of collecting data. But I can think of no other country that publicizes its crop size in the way we do.

Our family is doing well. We have a wedding coming up in October (our nephew, Suanne's son Joel). Schooling for all the kids of the right ages with lots of learning and homework. Lindsay and Keith settling into Milwaukee area. We are trying to keep life simple through harvest!

Fall prices:

Corn 3.16

SB 9.43

 

Steve

Summer Swoon

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Partners,

Summer is rushing by. Since the last post we have received quite adequate rainfall here. The month of July turned out to be a real blessing when the corn was tasseling. The beans responded to all the moisture with lots of growth. We are now expecting close to a trendline yield. The beans still need to make progress filling pods. The corn crop is now starting to dent. The cooler temps have slowed development (that's okay) so harvest will not start as early as we might like. We ended up spraying every acre of corn and beans with fungicide and insecticide. 

We have been keeping busy trying to get all the extra projects done we seem to put off during the rest of the year. Barn maintenance is high on the list. We had a wall blow out in one of the storms in July. To repair it we have to make our own shiplap. We also re-roofed a large section of the barn at Marcus's house, repaired and screwed down the rest of the tin and are now getting ready to paint. We have been mowing the CRP ground that was seeded this year to keep weeds in control till the new seeding gets established. We are also repairing many tile issues that are accessible in the summer with a growing crop. In between we have taken some time off for some family fun. We will be getting harvest equipment out and inspected for the upcoming task at hand.

Ag economy is plugging along. The predicted crop size has set a firm tone to the market. In our travels east and west we saw many crops suffering from too much and too little water. Overall we feel like our situation is one of the better ones. Agriculture is still waiting for all the secondary positions to be filled at USDA--can't understand why the process is so slow. Illinois has passed a budget but now is squabbling over all the details. Economics seem to be good enough that the used equipment market is firm and up-trending.

The family is doing well. Alison is preparing to return for her senior year at Wayland. Shanna is back from a trip to Columbia and Ecuador concerning online WIU classes there.  Many of the grandkids are back to school in the next week or two. During the past 6 weeks we have visited 13 colleges trying to pick a path for Ali post high school.  Phyllis and I celebrate 40 years August 21st. Summer livestock shows are coming to end--State Fair just finished up.

Can you answer the college pic question?

Fall prices:

Corn 3.39

Soybeans 9.17

Keep in touch! Like and comment below.

Steve 

Beetles & Celebration

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Partners,

Fireworks with Friends

We just finished celebrating the birthday of our country last week. What a time to pause and reflect and give thanks to the many who have sacrificed in order for us to enjoy the freedoms we now enjoy. It was good to spend time with family and friends and count the blessings.

Japanese Beetles

Delivering Grain

On the farm we are busy battling weeds and bugs. The dry weather has limited the effectiveness of some of the herbicides used and now we are under pressure from a rather large infestation of Japanese Beetles. There are some trees and shrubs they think are absolutely delicious. They have been in the area for about two weeks and are now moving into the crop fields. We are concerned, now that the corn is tasseling and shooting silks, that they will dine on the sweet tender ear silks. They are also stripping leaves on the outside of the soybean fields and without significant rain we are wondering what the effect on yields will be. We are also delivering grain, sweeping out bins, and still working on drainage projects that can be addressed without harming the growing crop. So for the month of June we recorded .7 inch of rain at Marcus's place, and 1.47 where Phyllis & I live. Forecast for next two weeks looks dry.

State of Illinois budget is making progress, although it is disappointing to see the governor was steamrolled and none of his proposals were included in the package. Democrats say not to worry, we will take them up later--right! American beef is now being sold in China after a 13 year hiatus. 

Ali on left

Softball Moms

Family is doing well. Alison had her last club softball weekend--sad to leave that stage of life. The crew (we managers included) are trying to get some time off in the summer for some fun relaxation. Next week is the 4-H show so time for bucket calves to make their debut.

Fall prices:

Corn 3.65

Soybeans 9.71

Keep in touch and stay cool! Comment & Like below.

Steve

Last Time

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Partners,

Things are slowing down a bit at Hess Family Farm. This past Wednesday Marcus replanted, for a second time, 40 acres of flooded creek bottom. We have not had rain since the last time the creek flooded. We'll now spot plant in some drowned out areas in a few bean fields--not as bad as the corn but we'll plant to keep a crop growing in the field and keep weeds at bay. We finished side dressing NH3 a week ago and the corn fields have really responded to the opening of the ground with the anhydrous knives. We still have the potential for some good yields but the weather for the next 4 weeks will make or break the crop. Some of the lighter timber soil that struggled to emerge is showing unevenness of stand and not growing very fast or even. We got our grass hay for the heifers baled this week along with the second cutting of alfalfa. I attended the Illinois Forage Expo and entered a first cutting alfalfa sample that won its class! We have been keeping the excavator busy repairing tile lines. We are also regularly delivering corn to the local feed mill for processing into hog feed. The never ending job of spraying weeds and mowing are also underway.

The commodity market is heating up with the weather issues on the horizon--corn is at an 11 month high. The new administration stance on several issues is causing a lot of apprehension in the ag sector. Determining what the path for immigration, infrastructure funding, ag trade, and the funding for the next farm bill are looming large. It is evident that our political clout is shrinking and we must use our ammo wisely. The story here in Illinois is the same.

Family is doing well and running full speed into summer activities. There is softball, camping, college visits, summer camps, and squeezing in some vacation days all on the docket. As usual it seems summer will be over before we know it and school back in full swing.

Fall prices:

Corn 3.74

Soybeans 9.23

Keep in touch and stay cool! I'll try to update more regularly about how the weather is progressing.

Steve