Planting Progress

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Partners & Friends,

Last week was productive for planting. We completed soybean planting on Friday and are about 25% done with corn. We are intentionally cautious with corn planting due to the cold temperatures and low soil temps. This week looks to be cloudy and rainy, so after the 1 inch of rain we received over the weekend, there probably won't be much fieldwork happening. We are caught up with spraying all the planted fields for weed control. We have some maintenance and equipment tasks to address, as the week of fieldwork highlighted any issues that need attention. Fortunately, there were very few problems. Both the equipment and our team performed quite well.

Things are still messy in DC, with new and conflicting information coming out each day. Weather forecasters have determined that Illinois now has two more days favorable for tornadoes than in the past. Our April to October precipitation trend is +2.5", minimum temperatures in Illinois are +2 degrees since 1970, and our maximum temperatures are unchanged. There is some climate change, but no evidence of global warming. Longer-term trends of climate change actually favor Illinois agriculture.

The FFA chapter banquet was a week ago—two Hess girls received certificates. Harper is the Chapter Treasurer. We attended the estate sale for Phyllis' Aunt Luan last Saturday; there was a nice crowd and perfect weather. It wasn't raining, and there was no wind. We had a blessed Resurrection weekend celebrating our risen Savior.

Fall Prices:

  • Corn: $4.35

  • Soybeans: $9.80

Enjoy springtime!

Steve

Starting Block

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Partners & Friends,

We are eagerly and patiently waiting to start field work in earnest. The cold weather has dampened our enthusiasm for planting seeds due to the low soil temperatures. Normally, we would be planting corn and soybeans at full speed by this date, especially with soil conditions this dry. However, our agronomist recommends a wait-and-see approach. The ideal scenario for crop emergence is to plant seeds in warm, moist soil, allowing the seedlings to sprout within a few days. Soil moisture is also a growing concern, with no significant weather events in the two-week forecast. For now, we will keep busy with equipment preparation, removing fences, office tasks, chemical deliveries, trimming trees, and updating technology for the upcoming season. All our calves are on the ground and will be heading to pasture next week.

Uncertainty and chaos dominate the national and international scene. Commodity prices are experiencing extreme volatility, with corn and soybean prices fluctuating like the stock market. Our global trading partners are trying to understand our new normal. Despite this, we should still be very thankful to live where we do. This remains the best place to live in the world, and Illinois farmland is well-positioned to benefit from climate change.

Spring fever is gaining steam. We are looking forward to spring programs, high school graduations, and FFA banquets. Plus, we are very excited about another Luecht grandbaby arriving in a month or so. 😍

Fall Prices:

Corn: $4.23

Soybeans: $9.66

Steve

Signs of Spring

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Partners & Friends,

The first day of spring is just around the corner. The Hess Family Farm team is gearing up for planting season, taking full advantage of the weather. The field conditions are drying out rather quickly, so we've got the tiling crew in full operation. This week alone, we've tiled over 40 acres, with much more to come if the weather holds up. Initially, we planned to drain about 200 acres, but conditions only recently became suitable with all the other activities we had to manage. We've also finished applying the last of the NH3. This year, our corn-to-bean ratio will be 80% corn due to crop economics. That means we'll have a lot of bushels to handle this fall (hopefully), but the corn-to-bean ratio heavily favors corn. Almost all of our beans will be seed beans for Beck's. Seed deliveries started this week as well. Our sprayer update is nearly complete—more on that in a few weeks. We've serviced our equipment and are looking forward to taking our new corn planter to the field.

There is still much uncertainty coming from DC. The mixed signals are causing a lot of head-scratching and delaying commitments for new projects in the ag sector. We're participating in a carbon reduction program to sequester carbon in the field. We qualify for credits due to our cover crops, reduced tillage, and smart fertilizer usage, but the rules still haven't been clarified. It would be ideal if certainty was in place for the 2026 crop. Tariff talk and countermeasures are truly whipsawing the commodity markets. Weather forecasts for this summer suggest a higher-than-average chance of reduced rainfall, but predicting weather months out is very difficult. We heard a presentation this past weekend by Peter Zeihan—he still thinks central US is the best place in the world for row crop agriculture.

On a family note, Judah—the oldest of our three grandsons in Wisconsin—got baptized this past weekend. We had a great week of extra help tiling due to spring break. The spring weather is putting all of us in a happy state as we look forward to another season of working with this wonderful creation to feed the world.

Fall Prices:

Corn: $4.24

Soybeans: $9.80

Enjoy Spring!

Steve

Watching It Grow

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Partners & Friends,

We officially finished planting on Friday with the drilling of soybeans into a hayfield we previously harvested hay from. As of now, all crops are green and growing well with stands above average. We did replant around 40 acres of corn in total, including the bottom that flooded out here on the homestead. The Hess Family Farm team is now in the process of a second pass of spraying corn before row closure, as well as baling hay, side dressing NH3, spraying fence rows, and beginning projects. Springtime means that the cows are out on pasture and an exceptionally large litter of kittens is now roaming around the farm. We received some golf ball-sized hail the first week of May that caused damage to the siding of our house and office but not to any crops, as they were too small and just emerging.

CO2 legislation was passed in Springfield. It put a few rules in place but not any Eminent Domain protection for pipeline projects; there remains much work to be done in that department. The Farm Bill debate is picking up steam in DC. Weather in some areas of Brazil has been particularly wet. The Murphy blacktop in Fulton County is getting a complete upgrade!

On the family front, school is out for the summer. Goat show season is picking up. Phyllis and I, as well as Ali who flew up from Asheville, attended the Steele family’s gymnastics performance in St. Louis. We also got to go to the Luecht family’s spring concert in Grafton. VBS is this week. PriscaStone, a day of worship, testimony, teaching, and fellowship in honor of our granddaughter Prisca, is in 2 weeks. Phyllis and I booked a 2 week agricultural tour of Europe for July. 

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.42

Soybeans—11.55

Keep in touch,

Steve

30/99

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Partners & Friends,

We haven’t turned a single wheel in a week. We have received over 5 inches of rain and can verify that our soil profile is full of moisture!🙂 The Hess Family Farm team is 30% complete with corn planting and 99% complete with soybean planting. All of our fields have been sprayed. A spring like this demonstrates the advantage of tiled fields. There are very few spots with pattern tiling in place that have been drowned out. The Drowning Fork creek that runs through our home farm, however, has been out twice and will need replanting. Chuck has been a great help with trucking, and we have delivered the last soybeans to the bins. The focus during the rain delays has been on many detail projects, as well as preparation for the big push that will soon emerge with rest of planting, post spraying, hay making, mowing, summer tiling, goat showing, 4-H fairs, construction projects, and fine tuning on our farm chemical mixing center.

GREET modeling for 2024 was introduced this past week. It was a large disappointment, as very little guidance was provided regarding the crop we are planting and how it will qualify for SAF carbon scoring in the future. The farm bill debate persists in DC. The bird flu outbreak is weighing on livestock markets. Additionally, the ongoing war in Ukraine continues to cause volatility in commodity markets.

On the family front, it is the time of year for finals, spring recitals, and outdoor gatherings. Show season has also begun in earnest. We are making plans for a few fun summer getaways.

Fall Prices:

Corn—4.58

Soybeans—11.71

Let us know what you want to read about, and be sure to ask any questions you might have!

Steve