What We Learned

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Partners & Friends,

We just had our annual meeting with our crop consultants—the people we rely on to scout our crops, do soil sampling, make agronomic recommendations, analyze our planting and yield data, and help us decide what adjustments to make to our crop operation. The more we realize we cannot complete all tasks with the resources we have, the more people like them become an integral part of our business. The Hess Family Farm has been collecting data for over 30 years. However, only in the last 10 years have we truly been able to use and apply all the information we have amassed. Our lessons from 2023 are as follows:

  • Beans planted early yield as well as later maturity beans

  • Residue management for beans is critical

  • We must add sulfur to our total fertility program placed in the correct location

  • Goose-necking corn due to the derecho caused substantial yield loss in some fields

  • Higher fertility is paying dividends

  • The sweet spot for corn populations is around 35,000 plants per acre

In addition to staying warm in the office, we are attending farm business meetings—a summary report will be posted soon. Another goat was born this past week. Keeping the waterers thawed has proved to be a bit of a challenge. Commodity prices continue to drift lower, and we are beginning to wonder where the bottom will be. The cold weather has put a halt on our tiling projects. Bean seeds will be delivered once the weather warms soon.

A USDA report last week revealed that this past harvest had record corn and bean yields, despite all the weather challenges. There is hope for a new farm bill in Washington. South America is proving to be a bigger competitor now than ever, with so much potential to expand. Weather forecasting remains more of an art than a science.

Our grandchildren are all enjoying the snow, although the 16 inches in Wisconsin are far more than the 5 inches we have here. January is a busy month full of birthdays in our family. Florida seems like a good alternative on days like these. 😅

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.50

Soybeans—11.59

Stay warm and think of spring and sunshine!

Steve