Giving Thanks

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Partners & Friends,

As we pause this holiday week to enjoy time with family and friends, it’s natural to reflect on all we’re thankful for. Looking back at the origins of this holiday helps us remember how it came to be. The early American settlers—the Pilgrims—endured and overcame great hardship, yet still took time to give thanks for the blessings God had bestowed upon them. Later, in the midst of national strife and division, President Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday.

Now, as a very blessed and comfortable people, we can pause to recognize how fortunate we are and take stock of all we have to be grateful for.

At Hess Family Farm, here’s a short list:

  • Family that is healthy and thriving

  • A very bountiful corn and bean crop this past year (despite limited rainfall)

  • New life, as Elisha joined us on June 1, 2025

  • A family seeking and following Jesus

  • A great employee team—shoutout to Hayden, Ryan, Chuck, Randy, and everyone else!

  • The privilege of working in and enjoying God’s creation each and every day

  • A super successful goat showing season

  • Great friends

  • Bible-believing churches

  • Our families’ heritage—the struggles and sacrifices that brought us to where we are

  • Two granddaughters thriving in college

  • Wonderful neighbors

  • Our own beef supply

  • Good coffee

  • Trees that provide shade and wood for the fireplace

  • Goat babies to remind us of the wonder of new life

  • Cousins

  • Musical gifts

  • Modern farm equipment

We hope you’ll pause, make a list of your own, and truly reflect on one of the greatest blessings: Jesus! Stay warm, enjoy the snow, gather your loved ones close, and cherish those relationships.

Steve

Taking Care of Business

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Partners & Friends,

The management team—Marcus and Shanna—along with Phyllis and me, attended the AgView Executive Business Conference this past week in Florida. It was mostly business-focused, with sessions on cost of production, US and global economics, labor management, marketing scenarios, accounting and tax strategies, land values, entity structure, and more. Here are a few bullet points from the presentations:

Path to Prosperity - Mike Finley

  • Strive for financial independence

  • Invest in appreciating index funds—stock index funds

  • Avoid financial advisors

  • Find the right teachers

Renewables and Tax Implications - Paul Neifer

  • There are lots of unknowns about 45Z, 45Q, and SAF

Farmland Investment and Fractal

  • 50% of Brazil will be out of its climate zone by 2030

  • Illinois has some of the lowest volatility farmland in the world

  • Some people are building their future—others are waiting for the future to impact them

Farm Economics and Trends - Chris Barron

  • Lenders are very concerned and cautious with this ag downturn

  • Know your cost of production

  • Family dynamics and communication are key areas

  • Return to management spread last year was $33/acre to $287/acre

Putting the Odds in Your Favor - David Kohl

  • Economics are overpowering the green movement in Europe

  • Will your operation be sustainable without government subsidies?

  • AI is transforming everything

Labor Management - Panel

  • What is your culture?

  • Define your core values

  • Know your team, know their lives

The ag economy will come out of this economic cycle in 3-5 years. These cycles are predictable. The US is now definitely the second worldwide supplier for soybeans, and that same distinction could soon apply to corn. The new administration is going to create a lot of dust, and until it settles, there are many unknowns. Unless the economies of China and India address climate change solutions, the other economies of the world will not make much of an impact. There has been a nice recovery in commodity prices—not great, but closer to covering the cost of production.

We are so thankful the weather has moderated. This time of year seems to be the dark before the rising sun. The warmth of the south is a nice break from the cold. Harper has also started teaching goat showmanship classes!

Fall 2025 Prices:

  • Corn: $4.28

  • Soybeans: $10.13

Steve

Winter Work

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Partners & Friends,

We at the Hess Family Farm are busy with winter tasks that tend to be a bit monotonous and repetitive. Over 20,000 bushels of beans were delivered to Beck’s Hybrids plant in El Paso, Illinois, for processing into seed. We will likely plant some of that very same seed this spring. The beans yielded and stored well. The corn hauling is down to the last (but largest 😬) bin. There have been many full days in the office finishing up accounting for 2024, getting ready for tax preparation, ordering inputs for 2025, engaging in short- and long-term financial planning, and attending various meetings offered by suppliers and consultants. This cold January has made keeping everything thawed out and operating a bit challenging. We can't help but remember how difficult this kind of weather was back when we were milking cows! We are also trying to plan for changes in the next crop year to bolster the bottom line. These are always tough decisions! What will the weather be like? What will impact market prices? How will interest rates trend in the months ahead? It seems like 2025 will be challenging for the farm economy overall, but we are glad that the January crop report was a bit bullish.

The new administration in D.C. is off and running. We pray for wisdom and fiscal responsibility. When the dust settles, there will be adjustments to make. There is wonderful news about new hope for peace in the Mideast. It will be interesting to see how the conflict in Ukraine resolves. The Brazilian soybean crop will be a huge one. Our relationship with China will be tested soon, it seems. With our borders closed, the labor situation in the US could become interesting.

Harper just got back from showing goats at the National Western Stock Show in Denver (see her Facebook for details!).🏆 Also, BPC Jr. High basketball season is in the last week of regular season games. It's been so great to be back at the gym to cheer for our home team! Phyllis and I also enjoyed seeing Walker in competitive gymnastics in Saint Louis - WOW! 💪🏻🏅

Fall Prices:

Corn: $4.26

Soybeans: $9.90

Stay warm!

Steve

Happy New Year!

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Partners & Friends,

We are enjoying this holiday season with family and friends. The pace on the farm has nearly slowed to a stop, except for office work and livestock chores. The December corn contract has been filled, and we will start January deliveries in earnest next week. The team enjoyed some social time at our Christmas gathering before Christmas. We rarely have the chance to get to know one another better amidst the usual hustle and bustle of farm life. We acknowledge a wonderful, blessed 2024 and truly give thanks for all the gifts and graces we enjoy working with God's creation while living in rural America. We hope you feel the same wherever you are placed.

There is much apprehension regarding the upcoming political landscape. Brazil seems to have a record soybean crop. Low water levels on the Mississippi are causing rising barge rates and lower cash grain bids. We are forecasted for a longer cold snap next week.

Phyllis and I had a terrific holiday with our family. The kids are growing so big so fast. Lindsay and Keith are expecting in May. We have a couple of winter meetings scheduled. We also enjoyed seeing friends at the Illinois Farm Bureau meeting in Chicago.

Fall 2025 Prices:

Corn: $4.14

Soybeans: $9.91

Have a fantastic 2025!

Steve

Giving Thanks

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Partners & Friends,

As we enter this season of the year following a very abundant and safe harvest, it would do us all well to take a moment and understand how blessed we truly are. We live in a country where we can vote for and argue against whoever we wish without fear of retribution. We can travel wherever and whenever we wish. We can worship as we choose. We can walk into a store and buy any type of food we prefer. We can be in business for ourselves. We can enjoy the beauty of creation and nature each and every day. And we can live without worry of attacks from adversaries. Thank You, Lord!

Post-harvest, we are keeping busy with NH3 application, vertical tillage (light discing), and some ripping of a few fields. The weather has remained mostly clear, and only in the last few days has frozen soil become an issue. Another round of goat kidding is over. We have an additional large corn delivery to make to the shuttle in December. Machinery cleanup and maintenance are ongoing, and the office always beckons for short bursts of time.

There are lots of unknowns to be determined in DC. The Secretary of Agriculture pick seems to have a great agricultural background but not much history to predict how she leans on policy. A new Farm Bill will not happen until next year. In Illinois, the veto session produced little in the way of legislation. Also, our governor has announced he wants Illinois to be the California of the Midwest!😬

Our family is busy with fall concerts, basketball games, college tours, gymnastics competitions, goat shows, dance recitals, final exams, and Christmas program practices. We give thanks for our friends and family, as well as this Christmas season when we can gather, strengthen, and deepen relationships and praise the wonder of the birth of our Savior. Soak it up!

Fall 2025 Prices:

Corn—$4.01

Soybeans—$9.36

Keep in touch!

Steve