Wet

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Partners & Friends,

We are having quite a wet spell—over 3 inches of rain in the last four days. And more rain is forecast for five straight days starting Wednesday this week. Some bottom ground will not have a crop this year. Otherwise, the crop is looking great and growing rapidly with all the moisture and warmth. We have been able to spray in brief spurts between showers. We barely achieved coverage across all the corn acres and are about 50% complete with the second pass on soybeans.

We are making slow progress resettling our main shop after the remodel over the past few months. There is one more load of beans to haul to Havana. We are getting the mowers out and trying to spray fencerows, although the crop is growing so rapidly that we won’t be able to reach all the places we had hoped. We are servicing the planting equipment before putting it away and are already beginning preparations for harvest.

Fuel and fertilizer markets have settled somewhat, but the real question now is availability. Sulfur will probably be in short supply since a significant portion comes through the Strait of Hormuz. Fuel prices are lower but have not returned to pre-war levels. We are still waiting for 45Z guidance to determine what the rules will be. We are really hoping for book-and-claim treatment on low-CI crop credits. Our bill to eliminate Eminent Domain authority for CO₂ pipelines in Illinois did not get called for a vote. It also appears we are in for electric rate increases. 🫤 So far, no data centers have been proposed for McDonough County. 🙂

Goat show season is in full bloom. Summer camps are happening every week. The FFA Convention was a great event—my first time back in 25 years.

Fall Prices:
Corn — $4.13
Soybeans — $11.11

Celebrate and appreciate our country's 250th anniversary!

Steve

Interns

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Pennycress Harvest

Partners & Friends,

Once again this summer, we have an intern spending a few weeks here at Hess Family Farm. Cadence Monson, a senior from Washington State, has been experiencing the many tasks involved in operating a Midwestern corn and soybean farm. Her family raises wheat on the rolling Palouse hills. We appreciate her vigor and get-it-done attitude. We are always looking for intern team members who want to experience farm life and explore whether it might be a future career path.

The crops are growing fast. We are wrapping up post-emergence corn herbicide applications. First-crop hay is in the barn. NH₃ side-dressing is complete. Planting equipment cleanup is mostly finished, and we are beginning to tackle some summer projects. We also checked in on a neighbor's pennycress harvest. We are down to shipping the last few loads of soybeans. A good rain would sure be welcome.

Phyllis's knee is healing nicely—there's almost no limp in her stride. We celebrated a first birthday in Milwaukee last weekend. Our oldest granddaughter visited and worked for a week (kind of like an intern 🙂). We also took in a couple of Little League games and decorated graves for Memorial Day.

Fall Prices:
Corn — $4.19
Soybeans — $11.04

Steve

Safety and Taxes

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Partners & Friends,

There has been a lot of activity as we prepare for harvest. We held our fall safety team meeting this week, with Trooper Backstrom presenting during a fierce rainstorm. 😬 Phyllis and I also attended a farmland assessment meeting sponsored by the Farm Bureau and local legislators. Farmland assessment laws are certainly not simple, but they’re probably as fair as can be expected. That said, real estate taxes won’t be coming down significantly anytime soon.

The equipment is mostly ready to roll, and we hope to begin corn harvest on Monday. Early field reports show lower-than-expected moisture levels. Unfortunately, the last several weeks of dry weather haven’t helped test weights. On the positive side, it looks like spraying fungicide this year will deliver significant returns. Bean fields are already turning, and with very little precipitation in the two-week forecast, it’s moving quickly. Final mowing is as complete as it’s going to get. We managed six cuttings of alfalfa this year! In addition, we’ve started a shop remodel/update project. Our grain-handling logistics will be tested to the max this fall.

We also helped manage a booth at the Farm Progress Show, campaigning against the use of eminent domain for CO₂ pipelines. We spoke with several legislators, though we weren’t able to get the governor’s ear while he was there. Federal assistance continues to be a big topic of discussion, and tariffs are hitting farmers from multiple directions.

The Bushnell Show & Sale was well attended this year, with 23 exhibitors—up from previous years. The school year is off and running. WIU faced U of I last week, and Illinois looks to have a promising season ahead of them. Phyllis and I enjoyed a few days in Kansas City for an anniversary trip, and she also celebrated her Class of ’75 fifty year reunion a few weeks ago.

Fall Prices:
Corn: $3.91
Soybeans: $9.79

Stay safe,
Steve

Show Time

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Partners & Friends,

This past week marked the conclusion of the summer fair and show season with the Illinois State Fair—the biggest event of the year for exhibitors in our state. The junior animals arrive at the beginning of the fair, and most of the showing takes place over the first few days. Harper and Abbott showed goats last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Hess Livestock had a fantastic week, with all animals placing at the top of their classes.

On Saturday night, Harper was in the Grand Drive in the coliseum alongside five other excellent goats. While we won’t be part of the Governor’s Sale of Champions this Wednesday evening, it’s been an incredibly rewarding show season overall. All the hard work and dedication to the project truly paid off! 🏆

With summer winding down, harvest is now about a month away. Warm weather is accelerating crop maturity, and both the corn and soybean crops are shaping up to be big ones. 🙂 We’ve wrapped up fungicide applications, mowed roadsides and waterways, baled hay between rain showers, prepped harvest equipment, cleaned out storage bins and drying systems, and even managed to sneak in a little downtime before harvest kicks off. The plentiful rain has made mowing the yard and roadsides a constant battle (not complaining!). Our truck fleet is now ready for a busy haul season.

On the policy front, Farm Bill discussions are stalling in D.C. Here in Illinois, election season is already underway, with petitions circulating. We’re also hosting Texas legislators who are avoiding redistricting votes—giving them a firsthand look at what real gerrymandering looks like. 😳 Meanwhile, the intense fungicide application season has sadly brought four spray plane accidents in just eight days. And in two weeks, Decatur will host the Farm Progress Show.

Locally, school is back in session this week, and college move-ins are next week. Phyllis and I recently enjoyed a suspenseful (and rainy) minor league baseball game with Ali and Betsy at the new Spartanburger stadium. Lincoln’s mountain bike racing season is also underway. Life is busy—and all good!

Fall Prices:
Corn: $3.72
Soybeans: $9.50

Enjoy the rest of your summer,
Steve

Looking Good

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Hay baling

Partners & Friends,

Hope everyone had a great Independence Day! We received nearly 1.5 inches of rain last Friday night, and with the mild temperatures, everything is staying green and growing beautifully. In all my years, I don’t recall a crop looking this uniform, vibrant, and full. It’s truly a sight to see. 🙂

We at the Hess Family Farm are keeping busy with fungicide applications on corn and soybeans, roadside mowing, weed and fence row spraying, summer construction and maintenance projects, goat shows, equipment upkeep, and haymaking. As always, summer is flying by—can you believe the Illinois State Fair is just three weeks away? And school starts again in just over a month! 😳 Be sure to enjoy and savor the moments while you can.

The Big Beautiful Bill has passed and includes some favorable provisions for farmers. Commodity prices are reflecting current crop prospects. 😐

Our newest grandson, Elisha Theodore, and his beautiful mother, Lindsay, are doing well. We’re hoping to spend some quality family time together in the coming weeks. With granddaughters in college, we’ll have plenty of reasons for campus visits.😍 We’re finding ourselves more and more appreciative of our heritage and the perseverance of those who came before us—they’ve made our lives what they are today.

Fall Prices:

  • Corn: $4.12

  • Soybeans: $10.07

Stay cool!

Steve