Life Lived Well

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Partners & Friends,

This past weekend was wonderful family and friend fellowship time while celebrating the life of Charles and Wilma, who passed away in January. It was lovely to see their 9 grandchildren reunited for the first time in a while. Having all 19 great-grandchildren (ages 16 years to 3 months) of Oma and Opa (Wilma and Charles) together was a sight to behold as well. We held a family ceremony and scattered ashes at Cousins' Corner, just as Mom and Dad instructed in their box of personal papers. The service at the church brought out many great memories from 90 years of life and almost 70 years of marriage. The overall message and legacy to be remembered was how they showed up for and embraced their community, included everyone, and loved like Jesus. Let us all take a lesson from their example.

We have received very little rain these past two weeks, but are experiencing terrific crop development from the blessing we got a few weeks ago. The sweet corn is pollinated all the way to the tips—very tasty! The corn has grown about 2 inches and the beans completely cover the rows. All the smoke haze in the air is making it difficult to find a window to cut hay. We are currently applying fungicide to corn and beans. The corn is elbowed so much that it is hard to drive through with the ground rig. Our summer project list is getting prioritized and shortened. Roadside and waterway mowing is taking place along with spot spraying and farmstead improvements. 

The Russia and Ukraine export corridor tension is causing much commodity volatility. Weather concerns are still very real across the corn belt. Crude oil prices are constantly moving up and down. The weakness of the dollar has helped exports, but the huge Brazilian crop is hanging over the market and the prices down south are quite competitive. The hay market is very strong.

County Fair season is upon us, and there are lots of goats to show. It was a real blessing to spend time with our loved ones this weekend—I want to do more of that! The Illinois State Fair is not too far off…maybe we can catch a short break before school starts again.😊

Fall Prices:

Corn—5.08

Soybeans—13.73

Steve

Derecho

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Partners & Friends,

It seems the drought is broken for now! A weather front came through on Thursday around noon, bringing 70 mph winds, some hail, and 1.6 inches of rain.😀 The extent of the damage on the farm was only a few branches down and much debris and trash from the dumpster blown around. We are so thankful! Bushnell had stronger winds, however, with big trees down and more damage to property. We had resprayed a field right before the front moved in, meaning Hayden had quite the ride back home.😓 We have not given up on the crop, and are still spraying all the fungicide applications as planned. The cow herd had been moved into the barn due to the pasture drying up, but hopefully we can get them back out this week and quit feeding them hay. There are lots of summer projects to work on here at the Hess Family Farm, and we’ve already had to start paring down the list since we are a bit short of labor (although those we have are truly great workers!). The grass hay market has gotten very high very fast. Our third cutting of alfalfa is coming on but not going to be too tall.

Commodity markets are very herky-jerky with the back and forth weather forecasts. The acreage report yesterday was a big surprise for bean acres. Farm Bill talks are beginning, but it looks doubtful anything will be passed before expiration—an extension will likely be offered.

Baby Prisca Wilavene was buried in Bushnell. Phyllis and I will keep a close eye on her. It is a beautiful spot next to trees and a creek, serving as a peaceful place to gather and a fun area for kids to play.😊 These summer days are filled with church camps, goat shows, Independence Day celebrations, and playoff softball and baseball games. We are looking forward to the entire family getting together in a couple of weeks.

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.73

Soybeans—13.42

Stay safe and in touch,

Steve

The Lord Giveth

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And the Lord taketh away. It is with immense sadness that I report the passing of our youngest granddaughter, Prisca Wilavene Luecht. She left this world Thursday evening, June 15th.

From what I understand at this point, it was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), which affects approximately 2,300 children annually in the US. It primarily affects babies under 12 months of age, but is more prevalent at 1-4 months. Causes are unknown, but, for some reason, the child simply stops breathing. The blessing of health and family is all too often taken for granted, especially when we live in a country of such safety and plenty. We must never assume that the Lord is finished leading us through new challenges. We do have comfort in knowing that Prisca is safe and secure in our Father’s arms, and that we will be reunited with her in the future. This is your reminder to hug your children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents, and grandparents often!

Prisca Wilavene Luecht’s obituary can be found and read here.

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