In The Sky

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Partners & Friends

We test and experiment with different agronomy practices every year to assess what new methods and/or products will improve yields, soil health, and profitability. Last week, we had a drone spray fungicide and biologicals on a few test plots. The drone only sprayed 2 gallons/acre, but the plant coverage was exceptional thanks to the downdraft of the propellors while flying. The technology of the drone, particularly its guidance system, is incredible. I now understand why drone warfare is so feared! The ease and ability to maneuver along with the clarity of the cameras and video makes it feel as if you are in a Star Wars movie.😄 Other advantages of drones are the ability to fly over tall crops with no crop damage from wheel tracks, as well as not having to worry about wet field conditions. Later on in August, we hope to use the drone to seed cover crops into standing crop in order to get covers established before harvest, which will help lower our carbon score to qualify for tax credits. However, there are many details to work out yet, so stay tuned!

The Hess Family Farm team is staying occupied with haying. We have baled around 2,000 small squares, over 250 big squares, and over 50 big, round bales so far this season. We will do a second cutting of alfalfa next week. All crops have received a post application of herbicide. The NH3 side dressing is complete. Spraying and mowing field edges is underway. Summer construction projects fill in the lulls of crop tending. 

The USDA Crop Acreage report is due to be released this week. Discussions regarding the Farm Bill continue. The dry, hot weather does not have traders too worried about crop size. No one seems concerned that the federal government will spend $2 trillion more than is taken in next fiscal year.

The entire family celebrated PriscaStone 2024 last weekend in Grafton, Wisconsin to honor the passing of baby Prisca one year ago. It was a wonderful time reuniting with many friends, listening to Christian worship music, and seeing God glorified.

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.28

Soybeans—10.90

Stay cool,

Steve

Hard Work Pays Off

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Partners & Friends,

This past weekend was the Illinois State Fair, where Harper and Abbott showed their goat herd. The Hess goats did very well on Friday at the Junior Show and Saturday in the Open Show. The girls placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the respective doe classes, and the wethers all placed 1st in their classes, despite very tough competition!

The annual Parade of Champions in the Coliseum took place Saturday evening, featuring the top ten top meat goat wethers of the 2023 Junior Show, three of whom were from our herd. Harper's heavyweight wether was awarded Reserve Champion overall at the 2023 Illinois State Fair! He will remain on exhibit at the Fair the rest of this week along with the Grand and Reserve Champions in the Steer, Barrow, and Market Lamb divisions.

One year ago, Harper set her sights on winning Grand Champion at the Fulton County Fair and to have a goat in the Coliseum for the 2023 Grand Drive. We are all so happy for her, because she not only achieved, but surpassed those two goals. All the hard work and decisions, along with the chores, sweat, early mornings, late nights, and sacrificed family and friend time paid off and came to fruition with these winning goats. A huge 'thank you' goes out to everyone who has been there to watch and support our family in this project!

Meanwhile, back on the farm, we are wrapping up summer projects, including construction and building updates, semi inspections, prepping equipment for harvest, maintaining and prepping the bins and grain system for new crop, hauling about 700 tons of lime to be stockpiled and spread after harvest, and cutting hay. We might make 5 cuttings from the alfalfa this year! We will likely bale some grass also, because the late rains have prompted enough growth to make that worthwhile. Harvest here at the Hess Family Farm is anticipated to begin sometime mid-September.

One correction from my last post: natural gas is lower than last year, although our supplier is raising hookup fees substantially for commercial accounts. 😐

The farm bill renewal is taking center stage in DC. There is much positioning for renewable fuels and biodiesel. China's economy is weakening. The Crop Tours are predicting good crops, meaning no supply shortages for the next year. Brazil's soybean crop is doing quite well.

School is starting this week; how can that be?🤔 College is back in session shortly. Our fall safety meeting is not far off. 

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.59

Soybeans—13.04

Steve

1 If By Land, 2 If By Air

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Partners & Friends,

We are wrapping up fungicide spraying for both corn and beans. There was a question on our last post asking what we spray fungicide for. In corn, our main enemies are Tar Spot, Northern Corn Leaf Blight, and Gray Leaf Spot. Then there was another question asking what elbowing in corn means. This is simply when the corn plant straightens back up after a wind event, causing a bend in the stalk near the root. Elbowing corn tends to cause spraying and harvest difficulties. 

We are doing application trials of different methods to apply fungicide. In one field we used our high clearance sprayer for ground application, flew on with an airplane, and used a drone to apply. It was quite a sight in the field that day! This is the second year of doing this trial. In theory, the ground sprayer should give better coverage since we are using 20 gallons of water per acre, while the drone and plane use a mere 2. However, the downdraft created by the drone might give better coverage deeper into the foliage, and the plane will be faster (more timely) while avoiding knocking down any plants. We will let you know the results of this trial after harvest.

The Hess Family Farm team is still keeping busy wrapping up summer projects. We are converting the old stanchion's space in the barn at Marcus’ house into a flat floor to give us options for livestock area or other uses. As always, we are working on the never-ending building repair projects that come with all the structures we maintain. There are also re-gating projects for the goat and cattle areas. On top of all that, we have begun to prepare equipment for harvest, which is only about a month away. Field scouting for yield estimates are indicating the crops will be good, despite the lack of rain. It is safe to say we will not set new yield records this fall.

The Ukraine situation is keeping commodity prices volatile. Oil prices are surging and driving diesel and gas prices up. Fertilizer prices for next year's crop will be about half of 2023’s. Natural gas to dry corn will be about 25% higher than a year ago. Climate change is a hot global topic that we feel we have minimal influence or control over. Brazil's soybean crop is looking good. 

Goat showing season is officially in full-swing. The State Fair is next week. My 50th class reunion is approaching. School for the grandchildren starts shortly. Summer seems like a fleeting wisp in the course of a year. Sweet corn season had mixed results (as we predict the field corn to be), but the tomato harvest is quite bountiful.

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.72

Soybeans—13.15

Steve

Great Finish

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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

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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