Slow Time
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Partners & Friends,
People often ask if there is a slow time on a primarily cropping operation like ours. The short answer is no. The last few weeks of summer are filled with fairs, vacations, last cutting of hay, harvest equipment preparation, completing summer projects, and school starting by the middle of August. The days of winter are taken up planning for the next crop year, securing inputs, delivering grain, collecting information (meetings), and equipment maintenance.
Our target to begin harvesting corn is September 12th. The corn is turning rapidly, partially due to lack of moisture. We’ve had close to no rain over the past 6 weeks. There is still a small amount of corn to deliver by September 15th. We are prepping equipment, trucks, grain center, and livestock for harvest. However, with so little precipitation, our yield estimates have not risen during the past several weeks. We are anticipating average crop yields this year, but no records.
Pro Farmer Crop Tour confirmed what we see. There is much variability in fields across the Midwest; precipitation from the last few weeks will make a big difference in overall outcome. At the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa on Tuesday, field demonstrations were cancelled due to excess moisture…yet we came home to dusty roads.
The family is busy with school restarting. Phyllis and I got away for a few days for our 45th anniversary. We also got to help celebrate Keith’s 40th birthday. The goat show season is winding down and pipeline battle is heating up.
Harvest Prices:
Corn—6.62
Soybeans—14.28
I will try to let you know what we find in the fields when the combine rolls,
Steve
