Great Finish

/

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

/

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

She Has Arrived!

/

Partners & Friends,

Baby Prisca arrived on Saturday, April 29th! It was a quick delivery and she was welcomed into the family with an abundance of love. There has been no shortage of open arms and offers to hold either.😊 Lindsay is doing well after two brief hospital visits following delivery. I am anew reminded of the wonder of creation, as well as the innocence and marvels of youth.

Planting corn has once again shifted into high gear. We took a week off after being 50% complete, both due to the cold and to see how emergences would be with the early planting. It is a good thing we paused, because we are now replanting the majority of the first wave sowed in early April. The Hess Family Farm team is running the planter about 20 hours per day and averaging over 300 acres during each of those periods—replanting will not take long. As for the soybeans, it currently appears that they are going to have enough population to be satisfactory. We are also running our CRP (Conservation Reserve Program) drill fast and hard with custom work. There is plenty of marginal ground getting enrolled for some nice rental rates—that means more carbon sequestered, although no tax credits exist like a pipeline.🫤

There will be a press conference this week in Springfield, check it out here. Perfect planting conditions are causing commodity weakness. Export corridor negotiations are ongoing—changing tides day to day. Weather is getting to become a large concern; we have appreciated the great soil conditions, but now we need some regular rain!

These are exciting times with a new baby! Ali’s graduation is less than a month away. Spring concerts and performances are popping up and being enjoyed. The season of livestock show is also shifting into high gear.

Current Prices:

Corn—5.05

Soybean—12.44

Keep in touch and please reach out with comments and questions,

Steve 

Progress Report

/

Partners & Friends,

The Hess Family Farm team made stellar progress last week. We completed about 60% of bean planting and around 50% of corn. The corn ground is all sprayed, and we’re working on bean fields now after receiving a 1/2 inch of rain. The ground was good and warm—soil temps are over 50 degrees. Most of the kinks have been worked out of the system now, so running should hopefully be smoother the remainder of planting season. We are also trying to avoid working after dark, since it is still early and we do not want to burn ourselves out. The Hess Family Farm team also had a few more hands on deck while planting, with my brother-in-law, Kevin, who helped out all week, and friend, Chuck, who came in for a day. Onward and upward!

It has been a wrestling match recently with oil prices and the question of what to do about locking in fuel. The Brazilian safrinha corn crop is looking good. They are planning on adequate moisture for the rest of the season—that’s what is being forecasted, anyway. The export corridor situation in the Black Sea changes daily.

Our family is well! Phyllis and I are waiting for the call to come any moment with news that Lindsay is in labor.😍 Softball practice has begun for Abbott.😁 Ali’s search for a job and final college quarter at UChicago are both coming along well. Miriam has also become our first grandchild to get a driver's license! 👏🏻

Fall Prices:

Corn—5.48

Soybeans—12.99

Stay safe and in touch,

Steve

Biding Time

/

Partners & Friends,

Spring is in full swing, and we are getting closer to putting planters in the field. This week, the Hess Family Farm team is finishing some tiling repair and ground preparation over recently tiled lines, applying more NH3 on acres being switched from beans to corn, calving our small beef herd, voting, drawing field boundaries, seeding waterways, attending spring concerts, and completing other miscellaneous tasks. We just received almost an inch of rain overnight, along with some high winds. The planters are hooked up and almost field ready. The last of the seed beans have been delivered and most of the bins are swept. Between the longer days and warmer weather, the urge to begin planting is growing more and more.

Commodity markets have found support for now. Oil prices are up due to the OPEC announcement of reduced production. 8 of every 10 dollars we spend are related to energy/oil. Following yesterday’s election, it seems that progressives may have won the day.

The family is doing well. Our grandchildren are in the home run as summer break draws nearer and spring fever infects schools. Ali is also working hard through her last quarter at UChicago. Lindsay is within 2 weeks of her due date. Our plan is to celebrate the good news of Jesus on Resurrection Day, then begin fieldwork shortly after.

Fall Prices:

Corn—5.39

Soybeans—12.96

Give glory to our Risen Savior!

Steve