More Rain & Related Concerns

Partners,

As the rains continue to move across our area, there are several issues which are becoming concerns for the growing crops.  Of course flooding and ponding are more obvious to the casual observer, but foliar disease and denitrification are just as big of concern at this time.

You have all heard plenty about drainage tile, and we are of course glad that we have continued to install these systems over the time, and years like this can nearly pay for the investment very quickly.  With foliar disease and denitrification, there is a good amount of scouting and decision making that needs to take place to determine if further management is needed in order to maintain yield potential.

We are feeling fortunate that we had already planned to try out an "intensive nitrogen management" program this growing season.  Basically this consisted of applying fewer pounds of nitrogen in the "preplant" application, monitoring the crop to determine nitrogen loss, then evaluating yield potential to determine if the nitrogen loss, coupled with yield potential, warranted additional nitrogen application mid summer.  After completing tests in three fields, we determined that an additional 23 to 46 pounds of nitrogen were warranted in order to maintain full yield potential on nearly all of our corn acres.  Part of this need was inherently due to less applied nitrogen ahead of the growing season, but more so, the need was driven by the excessive moisture that has "pushed" a lot of nitrogen down below the root zone.  

The nitrogen is being aerially applied as I type this, in the form of pelletized urea.  Traditionally this is looked upon negatively due to the high cost of application, but as the weather becomes consistently erratic, we are realizing too many losses from early applications.

After a few trips around the midwest, we are very fortunate to have the yield potential to warrant this application.

The markets have also been "awakened" in the past couple of weeks due to the excessive moisture concerns.

Fall corn is now at 3.70

Fall soybeans are 9.50

Feel free to fire back with any questions on this more "in depth" subject matter.

Marcus

Wet & Wild

Partners,

The average rainfall for the year seems to have caught up, all within a weeks time here - with the next four days calling for more precipitation. This past week alone I have dumped over 4" out of our rain gauges. Our creek is out of its banks since yesterday and has been there long enough we will be required to replant at least 40 acres of flooded ground. But as the saying goes for every bottom there is a hill that benefits from the water and the crops are in excellent condition - maybe not quite as good as last year but still above average. 

This past week we have been able to attack some more of our "projects" - things we want to do to improve and enhance our farms but don't feel we can necessarily justify hiring done. Since Marcus and Shanna have established a new color scheme at the Hess homestead, we have been wanting to recolor the outbuildings. So this week we began the process of re-painting the the machine shed there and will follow with the rest of the buildings as time allows. We are also shipping corn to meet our June contracts and mowing often to keep ahead of the grass and weeds. 

Prices for fall delivery:

Corn 3.40

Soybeans 8.85

Enjoy your summer and this blessed country we live in! Few weeks to the Fourth of July when we should really appreciate our freedom.

End & Beginning

Partners,

Another week of rain and work between showers. Corn and beans are growing well and fast as we try to get side dressing done and corn spraying completed. We received over 2 inches on all farms last weekend and looks like another half inch this weekend. Our grain hauling pace has picked up and we intend to have everything delivered by the middle of July. We have been aggressive sellers of our unpriced inventory and have very little remaining. There was no spring rally due to excellent planting window and conditions. With the fields looking so good price slides continue.

Fall bids:

Corn 3.38

SB 8.85

There are two college graduates here that have been excellent team members at Hess Family Farm for the last couple of years: Mitch and Aaron from the WIU Ag Department. Mitch majored in Ag Business and Aaron in Agronomy. We've had a lot of good college help over the years here and appreciate them all. We are going to miss these two as they go on to careers in their fields and provide a new round of innovation and enthusiasm that the agriculture industry needs to stay vital and progressive. Best wishes to them both as they end their college time and go out into the real world. They will both succeed in whatever they choose to do.

Families are doing well, and with school out the summer schedule has begun. Lots of sports, swimming, picnics and travel. Our project list is already longer than we will probably accomplish but the weather this spring so far has allowed us to get a lot of things done we normally wouldn't have time for.