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

Seed Beans

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Partners & Friends,

We received a quarter inch of rain just a few hours after finishing corn and soybean planting. Temperatures are finally rising, along with Growing Degree Days, so crop emergence prospects are looking good! There is a chance of rain in the forecast for each of the next 12 days…not great news for haying prospects. 🙁

Spraying behind the planters is complete. We have replanted about 300 acres of soybeans due to poor emergence and frost damage. The team has put in some big days to get everything ready before this rain delay.

This year, more than two-thirds of our soybean production is dedicated to raising seed beans for Beck's Hybrids. Seed production requires extra management and close attention to detail. The planter must be thoroughly cleaned between varieties. Each seed field must be specifically identified and recorded. The seed receives special treatments to protect against disease. Spray applications are documented, and only approved chemicals may be used.

Before harvest, bins must be cleaned. Harvest can begin only after receiving field-by-field clearance from the seed company representative. The combine, trucks, grain carts, and wagons are cleaned between varieties. We try to match bin capacities with expected yields, but sometimes we overestimate or underestimate. That can leave unused bin space or excess production that must be delivered through regular market channels with no premium. There is a lot of management and attention to detail involved, and if harvest moisture isn’t just right, the payoff can be small. With last year’s crop, only about 30% of our production was actually called. High risk—just like farming overall. 🙂

The China visit was a real letdown in terms of trade agreements. E15 legislation in Congress is not progressing as it should. Politics seem to seep into many parts of our lives.

The school year is coming to a close. Our two oldest granddaughters are home from college for the summer. Little League season has begun. Goat show season is in full swing. And I hear the Chicago Cubs are leading their division!

Fall Prices:
Corn: $4.60
Soybeans: $11.38

Soak up summer!

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

Interns + Summer Festivities

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Abbott’s baptism

Partners & Friends,

This May and June, we welcomed our very first intern to Hess Family Farm! Cadence Monson, from Washington State, is heading into her junior year at the University of Idaho, where she’s majoring in Agricultural Business. During her three-week stay, she got a hands-on introduction to row crop farming in Illinois.

Cadence’s responsibilities were wide-ranging and immersive: spraying, haying, goat care, horseback riding, crop marketing, a combine factory tour, NH3 application, and more. There wasn’t much downtime—she experienced a deep dive into the daily life and operations of a working farm. After graduation, Cadence plans to return to her family’s wheat farm in the Palouse Hills. Her parents are part of the same peer group as Marcus and Shanna, which made the connection even more special.

We encourage any young person curious about farm life to consider spending time at HFF. It’s a great way to build your resume and explore whether farming could be part of your future.

We’ve wrapped up corn and soybean spraying, NH3 side-dressing, and the second cutting of alfalfa. We’ve also completed several construction projects (thanks, Phil!), done some goat breeding, and baled over 500 small square bales of grass hay, along with 50 big squares and many rounds. Machinery maintenance is ongoing, and we’re currently spraying fence rows and field edges. Waterhemp control remains a major concern. As always, we hold off on mowing roadsides until after nesting season ends (July 1).

The Illinois legislature has concluded its 2025 session. Highlights include:

  • A $0.14 increase in the gas tax

  • Continued support and protection for immigrants in sanctuary cities

  • No resolution yet on the state pension fund issue

We’re thrilled to announce we’re grandparents again! ❤️ Elisha Theodore Luecht was born on June 1st and welcomed home by four adoring siblings. Abbott was baptized at Crossing Camp, and our two oldest granddaughters, Miriam and Cora, had a beautiful graduation party.🎉Harper had a great week at the Illinois FFA Convention.

A special thanks to Uncle Phil, who blessed us and the farm with his presence for a few weeks. He was a tremendous help in tackling our project list and managing the labor force.

Fall Prices:

  • Corn: $4.13

  • Soybeans: $10.06

Soak up summer!

Steve