A Good Week
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Partners & Friends,
This past week was a good one! Lindsay and her children were here to experience and assist with harvest. We have completed harvesting our distant fields. On Friday, we received our first substantial rain, about 0.7 inches, in weeks. Navigator (read: CO2 pipeline company) also filed a motion to withdraw their application at the ICC for a second time—read about it here and here. We do not anticipate the pipeline threat disappearing anytime soon, but it does seem that our efforts are proving more and more successful; Goliath is feeling the stones being thrown.
The Hess Family Farm team is down to the last 650 acres of corn. Moisture is approaching storage level (15.5%), so drying capacity is no longer an issue. We have delivered much corn this past month to our local feed mill, TriOak Feeds. Since we’ve taken advantage of our strong basis opportunities, we will not have to use all our storage. The only soybeans we’re currently storing are our 2 varieties of seed beans. We have begun ripping (conservation plowing) a few fields that need leveling due to recent tiling or because they will be corn on corn or need the soil profile mixed. We will soon begin applying fertilizer with our new-to-us strip till bar to prepare fields for next year’s corn crop. We are also preparing to start our fall tiling projects.
The Middle East hostilities are major disrupters to energy prices (70% of our inputs are related to energy costs). Chaos in the US House means no new farm bill will be passed soon. Low river levels are not helping river bids for corn and beans either.
We have had some great help over the past few weeks, as well as many good conversations. Special family moments and delicious apple cider have also been enjoyed. ❤️
Fall Prices:
Corn—4.88
Soybeans—12.61
Stay safe and keep in touch,
Steve
