2016 Crop Year
Harvest Season
Week Ending November 19
We made good progress this week on soil testing, fertilizer application, and tillage work. We are running a Veris soil testing machine across many of the fields to collect electric conductivity (EC) readings and to measure organic matter. EC readings give us a more detailed map of soil types. Organic matter is measured with an electric eye. The tool gives us better information to manage our fields and create prescriptions for seeding and nitrogen applications.
We continue to spread limestone, potash, and phosphorus-based on soil tests we took this spring. All of the applications are made using variable rate prescriptions so that the products are placed where they are needed in the field.
Tillage work continues as we race the coming winter weather. By the end of the week, nearly all the corn ground had been worked.
We were able to take advantage of a couple of good weather days this week to get started on cleaning up the combines. This is a dirty job but much nicer when it is 70 degrees and not 20 with the snow blowing.
Week Ending November 12th
We finished up harvest on Wednesday of this week. We were blessed with a safe and bountiful harvest. Corn and soybeans were the highest on record for us with many fields making over 250 bushels per acre on corn and 85 on soybeans.
Corn moisture levels fell to 16-17% by the end of harvest. The low moisture levels allowed us to deliver some of the last corn directly to Corn Products in Chicago which helped out since we were out of room at our storage sites.
We were able to get back on limestone application and tillage work late in the week. Keith (12) got a chance to run the ripper by himself for the first time this week. He is a fan of the GPS autosteering and the extra horsepower (600+) of the Challenger 875.
Week Ending November 5th
Corn harvest stretched into November this week. Yields continue to be very good. Our progress has slowed up some as our storage facilities have filled up and we are now needing to haul grain back out to other sites. Running out of storage space is a good problem.
With the return of some sunshine, this week were able to get the last patch of soybeans done.
Field conditions remain too wet for tillage work.
Week Ending October 29th
Another good corn harvest week with a mix of sun and rain. Rain amounts of over an inch shut us down at midweek.
Week Ending October 23rd
We spent the first part of the week battling a field of down corn. This corn went down just after pollination back in late July so we knew it was coming. Yields were good despite the twisted-up stalks. RTK GPS accuracy on the combine steering was very helpful in getting us down the rows which were impossible to make out from the cab. We did tear up a couple of end snouts on the corn heads trying to pick the corn off the ground in the mud. We are glad to have the down corn behind us now.
By the middle of the week, sunshine had returned and we were able to switch over the soybeans. Soybean yields have been very good with some fields approaching 90 bushels per acre.
We decided to get some of our small fields out of the way on Saturday. The challenge is that those fields are in some very urban areas. The last photo below is from Rt 59 in heavy traffic with a combine. We are missing the quiet roads of Farmer City.
Week Ending October 16th
We continued to run in corn this week around Yorkville. Yields remain very good but we have run into some down corn which has slowed us down. Light rain and cloudy days have kept us from switching to soybeans.
Lola (the border collie) tried riding with me this week. She was too scared and did not enjoy it. Cecilia and Keith however had a great time. It is good to be running near home where we can spend time with family. See the photos below.
Week Ending October 9th
We finished soybeans in Farmer City this week and moved home to start corn. Limestone and fertilizer spreading is finished in Farmer City as well.
Corn yields on our first field around Yorkville are very good at 240-250 bushels per acre. Moisture levels are still around 22%.
Week Ending October 1st
We had a rain-shortened week of harvesting soybeans. We were able to run Monday through Wednesday with nice sunny weather but rain and clouds set in by Thursday.
Soybean moisture levels were good early in the week with loads throughout the day ranging from 12 to 14%. Yields continue to be good with field averages of 75 to 82 bushels per acre so far.
We had our first significant machine breakdown of the harvest. A shaft broke on the unloading auger gearbox of the 595 combine. We were able to get a new gearbox and put it back together in less than 1/2 a day but it did slow up our progress.
The tillage crew was able to get going again this week as the fields dried off. Nearly all of the seed corn fields are now worked.
Brad is spreading limestone, phosphorus, and potash on the soybean fields after they are harvested based on soil sampling that was done in the spring. All of the products are being variable rate applied based on the soil test results.
Hopefully, we can get some dry days this coming week and get back on the soybean combining. We have just a couple of days left and we could move the machines home to start there.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending September 25th
We finished corn in the Farmer City area on Thursday and started soybeans on Friday of this week. Corn yields remained very good through the week with the last field averaging around 260 bushels per acre. Moisture levels continued to decline all week with the warm conditions down to about 18% when we finished.
Our group 3.4 maturity soybeans were ready to harvest Friday. Moisture levels were 11-14%. The stems were somewhat green but they went through the machines OK. Yields were good with the first field averaging 79 bushels per acre.
We started spreading limestone on the soybean ground.
By Saturday we had run out of dry soybeans so everyone got to get home for some time off before we hit soybeans again next week.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending September 17th
Corn harvest started for us on Wednesday, September 14th. Ground conditions were still wet in many areas of the fields from the 4+ inches of rain over the last week in Farmer City. The tracked equipment allowed us to get through the field without much trouble.
This year we are running a Lexion 780 and a Lexion 595 combines, both with 16-row corn heads. We are running 3 Kinze 1050 grain carts on tracks pulled with Challenger tractors.
Corn moisture levels have been 22-23% which is a good starting point for us. Grain quality has been very good so far with no signs of ear molds. Yields have been very good with some fields averaging 250 bushels per acre.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending September 10th
We hauled all of the grain carts and tractors to Farmer City this week. We were able to get started disk/ripping the seed corn field that was harvested early in the week. Field conditions were dry and the ripper was doing a nice job before heavy rains shut down field work late in the week. 4 inches of rain fell over the September 10th weekend which will slow down our ability to start combining next week.
Back at the shop we worked on adding augers to the outside dividers on the corn heads. We are expecting to run into some down and twisted corn this year. The augers will help pull in the down corn.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Spring and Summer Activities
Week Ending September 3rd
We continued to get machinery ready for harvest this week. We made fenders for the grain carts. That project turned out to be more involved than originally planned. We modified some plastic truck fenders to make them wide enough to cover the tracks.
Our new combine was delivered this week. We traded for another Claas Lexion 780. It will be interesting to see how the new machine performs in a couple of weeks. We will be running the 780 and a Lexion 595 again this fall.
Karoline turned 16 this week. No driver's license yet. She is finishing up her required driving hours first. It will not be long though.
We visited Kristine at the University of Illinois over Labor Day. She is adjusting well to college life.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending August 27th
Preparations continue to be made for fall. We are getting our grain facilities cleaned out and ready for harvest.
The trucking department continues to make good progress on hauling limestone to Farmer City. We are stockpiling ag lime there to be spread this fall.
We visited a farm in central Nebraska that is in our farm peer group. Gangwish Seed Farm is a family-owned and operated farm near Kearney, NE. The Gangwishs are contract growers of seed corn as well as commercial corn and soybeans. They have a very well-run farm and we are honored to be a part of a peer group with them.
Below are some photos from the farm visit.
Week Ending August 20th
This week we hosted our annual farm appreciation dinner for the people we do business with. The rains held off and we had a very nice evening. We are very grateful for the many outstanding suppliers, grain customers, and land owners that we work with.
The other big activity for the week was taking Kristine to the University of Illinois to start college. There were some tears shed as we dropped her off but we are very excited for her as she starts off her college career.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending August 13th
One of this week's projects in the shop was changing the tracks on the used grain cart we bought earlier this summer. The old tracks were worn out. The Kinze 1050 cart should give us many years of service now with new tracks and newly lined augers.
We were also busy getting the farm cleaned up for the farm appreciation dinner next week. Kristine got to get in some more mowing before heading off to college next week.
Week Ending August 6th
Another busy week on the farm with shop projects, the Kendall County Fair, and sweet corn to pick.
In the shop, we continued to refurbish the 3rd grain cart. Poly lining was added to the augers and flooring.
The kids showed their 4-H projects at the county fair. We harvested more of the sweet corn. The sweet corn crop was very good this year in our small patches. We walked (weeded) some soybeans. The kids and I washed down the inside of the horse barn (lots of fun).
Week Ending July 30th
The crops continue to look very good in our area. Corn, soybean, and seed corn crops all look good as we continue to get nice summer rains. We started to get some sweet corn out of our patch this week. A good sweet corn crop is usually an indication of a good commercial corn crop as well.
Below are some pictures from our crop scouting this week.
Week Ending July 23rd
We found some down / wind-damaged corn this week as we were finishing up the fungicide spraying. High winds caused some of the corn to fold over (lodge) at the roots. The very soft ground conditions allowed the plants to fall over despite having a very nice root system. Most of the plants will likely straighten up with time but the affected fields will be a challenge to harvest this fall.
Week Ending July 16th
As we pass the mid-point of the summer this week the crops continue to look very good both north and south. We have been averaging about 1 inch of rain per week and temperatures have remained moderate.
Brad has been staying busy in the Hagie sprayer. He finished spraying fungicide on corn south last week and is spraying around Yorkville this week.
The trucking department is hauling the last of the 2015 corn out of storage this week. It is time to get the bins cleaned out for fall.
We had a gearbox go out of the drive on the excavator last week while it was back about a mile in a cornfield taking out trees. It was a challenge to get the track and the gearbox off. It may be more of a challenge to get it back together.
Week Ending July 9th
Another week of spraying, dodging rain showers, and machinery maintenance. Fungicide spraying is going full tilt with Hagie. The shop crew got all of the tractors run through the shop, maintained, and polished up for fall. Most of the corn is now at the VT stage or later.
Week Ending July 2nd
With side-dressing wrapped up last week, it was time to change the tracks back to the wide 25-inch belts for fall. Keith and I stayed busy mowing farmsteads and roadsides. The weather continues to be very good for the crops.
The dogs love to go to the farm to "help." See below.
Week Ending June 25th
Spraying and side-dressing operations moved home to Yorkville this week. Timely rains have brought the crops along nicely.
We had a couple of groups tour the farm this week which means it was time to clean up the shop and some equipment.
Week Ending June 18th
The guys were busy spraying and side-dressing corn in Farmer City this week. Below are some pictures of the work. Crops look good there but we could use rain.
Week Ending June 11th
It is time to side-dress corn with nitrogen. All of the corn will get a variable rate of liquid 32% nitrogen. The rate is based on the soil types and crop needs to get it through the rest of the season.
We change out our 25-inch tracks on the tractors to 18-inch belts for side-dressing. That was one of the projects for this week. It is not a bad job with a forklift and a couple of guys.
Side-dressing started by the end of the week in Farmer City.
Keith learned how to drive a manual transmission this week. We got out the old IH Scout truck and did some training.
Week Ending June 4th
Kristine graduated from Yorkville High School this week. We are very proud of her accomplishments. She will be attending the University of Illinois this fall and majoring in Crop Science.
Besides getting ready for graduation parties this week, we replanted in some of the wet spots in the corn and soybean fields as well as built some cattle fence. The crops continue to look good both north and south.
Week Ending May 21st
We finished planting both corn and soybeans on Saturday. We made good progress Thursday through Saturday when the ground finally dried out. We may do some replanting in the drowned-out spots this week and do some custom planting for some neighbors.
We will start our post trip of corn herbicide later this week on the early corn planted in Farmer City. We may get started side-dressing corn with nitrogen as well.
Some of the early corn we planted in the north suffered from the 3-inch rains that fell a week after it was planted. The stand was cut back where to water stood on it too long.
Below are some pictures from this week.
Week Ending May 14th
We had another week of wet and cold weather. About 2.5 inches of rain fell early in the week. We were able to run Sunday, May 8th but not the rest of the week given the wet conditions.
The excessive rains have taken their toll on the crops. We have lost some of the low areas in the fields to standing water. We will replant those spots when things finally dry out.
With the rain delays, we have gotten back to some maintenance projects like replacing all the light fixtures in the shop with more efficient ones.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending May 7th
Wet conditions kept us out of the fields until the end of the week. We were able to get back on spraying midweek but the fields were not dry enough the start planting again until Saturday. We were able to go strong in corn and soybeans by Saturday afternoon.
We have not had an excessive amount of rain but the cool and cloudy conditions limit any drying of the fields.
We were able to get some work done on our fence line/tree cleanup project. We are taking out about a mile-long stretch of trees in a fence line between two of our fields.
Below are some pictures from the week.
Week Ending April 30th
We were able to get started planting corn around home this week. The field conditions were good. We were able to make good progress and we ran through midweek before getting rained out.
We finished up soybean in Farmer City early in the week. The first corn and soybeans we planted in Farmer City are now up. All the commercial corn and soybeans down south are now in.
Week Ending April 23rd
We finished planting corn by the end of this week in Farmer City. We have about 200 acres of soybeans left to plant including the isolation areas around our seed corn fields. Our timing was good since it rained about 1/2 inch the evening we finished planting corn. We were able to get the corn planter moved home to start there.
Field conditions were very good for most of our planting run in Farmer City.
Week Ending April 16th
We were able to get into the fields in the Farmer City area this week. Spraying and field cultivating started mid-week and the planters started rolling by Friday. Field conditions were good and the forecast is positive for warmer conditions to come.
We are again applying pre-plant herbicides to both corn and beans. Liquid nitrogen fertilizer (28%) is applied with the corn herbicide. We apply about 1/2 of the corn needs in the spring and the second half at side-dress. We are using a Hagie STS16 sprayer with a 120 ft boom.
We are running two 60 ft field cultivators to level off the ground ahead of the planters. Both are pulled with Cat Challengers equipped with RTK-based GPS steering systems. All machines run on a controlled 60 ft traffic pattern so that the impact of the compaction from the machines is minimized. All of the machines have a track pattern set to 120 inches.
We added two field cultivators this year so that two stay in Farmer City and two stay in Yorkville. This way we are not having to move the cultivators down the road 100 miles which is a challenge given their height and width. All of the other machines get transported between our two land bases.
We are again running two Horsch high-speed 24-row/30-inch planters. One runs in soybeans and the other in corn. We are about 50/50 corn beans again this year.
Below are some pictures from the first week of fieldwork. It was a good start to this spring season.
Week Ending April 9th
We closed on a new farm purchase this week in the Plainfield area. We got started on cleaning out some of the old fence rows on the property. It was cold work. Rain/snow flurries were common again this week.
It will be a while yet before planting can get started. The planters remain parked in the shed as shown in the picture below.
Week Ending April 1
Wet/cold conditions continue to keep us out of the fields. This week we kept busy rebuilding our Vermeer tiling machine.
We bought a new rock-picking bucket for the skid steer. It should work well for the rocks we have in our north fields.
Winter and Spring Activities
Week Ending March 26th
It is still too wet and cold for much field work but we were able to start work on some field tile and waterway repairs. We were also able to get more machinery shipped south to Farmer City - ready to start field work when the weather breaks.
Week Ending March 19th
Jim Naughton represented our farm well at the Chicago Farmers - Farmland Investment Fair this week in Joliet. The annual event provides information for investors interested in investing in farmland.
Week Ending March 12th
The planters came out of the shed this week which means spring planting can not be too far off. Our Horsch people are coming next week to put some updates on them including a new active/automated down pressure system.
My immediate family visited the University of Illinois - College of Agriculture open house this week. Kristine will be attending there next fall in Crop Sciences. We are very proud of her and looking forward to her studies at the U of I.
Week Ending March 5th
Time to teach the calves to lead. Keith, Sarah, and I worked on getting his 4-H calves to lead. If you wait until they are 800 pounds it is a challenge.
Back at the shop, it was time to change the tires on the Hagie sprayer back from the narrow row-crop tires to wide floater tires for spring. We also sold the last of our CaseIH planters this week. That 24-row planter went to a farmer friend of ours in Missouri.
Week Ending February 27th
We added 2 more field cultivators to our fleet this week. We were able to buy 2 Sunflower 62.5ft field cultivators on auction this week at very good prices. These machines will stay in Farmer City and eliminate the need for us to move cultivators 100 miles up and down Rt 47 each spring. The cultivators are 16' high and 16' wide which makes for challenging road travel.
We started moving machinery south this week. The roller and 2 sets of portable liquid fertilizer tanks were moved in this week.
Week Ending February 20th
This was truck cleaning a polishing week in the shop. The guys did a great job of getting the trucks cleaned and the aluminum polished up.
Week Ending February 13th
We started a major rebuild project on one of our field cultivators this week. We are replacing all of the main frame sections and putting a new drag/rolling basket on the back. Replacing the frame sections requires basically a total dismantling of the machine. The cultivator is a Sunflower 62.5 ft machine. It has about 120 shanks. During the rebuild, we also replaced all the bearings and pivot point bushings.
Below are some pictures of the project and the finished machine.
Week Ending February 6th
Both corn heads were gone over and reconditioned this week. This work included a good cleaning, checking the oil levels in all the gearboxes, adjusting all the knife rolls, lubrication, tensioning the gathering chains, and touching up the paint. Both heads are 16-row/30-inch Lexion corn heads.
Week Ending January 30th
It looks like we are going to make it through January without any major snowfall. We have yet to plow snow this winter which is rare.
We switched our seed tender over to bulk dry fertilizer this week. We are going to start hauling potash and DAP (dry fertilizers). We use the tender to pick up the fertilizer at the river terminal and deliver it to the spreader in the field.
Week Ending January 24th
We were able to get back into the fields and finish up the rest of the limestone spreading this week. The ground was frozen so we are not sinking in and there was freshly ground limestone available at the gravel pit that was not frozen so we were able to run again.
We did find that our rubber track tractor on the spreader is not the best machine for this time of year. The frozen ground made for a rough ride. There are very few applications where we do not enjoy tracks and this is one of them.
All of the fields that we soil tested in the fall and needed limestone have now been spread for the year.
Week Ending January 17th
Bob, Sarah, Brad, and Kelli went on a trip to New Orleans this past week to tour the grain port in the Gulf. We toured the ADM grain facilities where they unload barges and load ocean vessels headed to our export customers. It was very interesting for us to see where our grain goes through the export channels. We were able to watch a barge being unloaded and a Panamax vessel being loaded. The volume of grain that moves through the port and the speed at which it moves is very impressive. Special thanks to ADM and First Farm Credit for making this trip possible.
Below are some pictures from the tour.
Week Ending January 10th
Keith received another cow and calf for Christmas along with a treating chute for taking care of his growing herd. We got the new cattle moved in and built some cattle working pens to go utilize the chute. We appear to be getting back into the cattle business more and more all the time.
The trucking department is staying busy hauling grain between the snow and ice storms.
Week Ending January 3rd
The start of the new year finds us back in the machine shop rebuilding equipment and getting ready for the 2016 growing season even though it is a ways off.
We are putting new poly lining on both the horizontal and vertical augers of both grain carts. We have used the lining before and it lasts longer than steel. We are also putting a poly u-trough lining in the bottom of the carts. Reconditioning the carts is far more cost-effective than trading for new ones right now. New Kinze carts with tracks are now over $120,000.
Week Ending December 27th
We had a great Christmas. We were able to take time to enjoy family and friends during this special time of year. The next crop of Lexion combine operators are seen practicing with their new Christmas toys in the picture below.
We also found just enough snow this week to drag the kids around in the cold for a while.
Christmas gifts included some metalwork created in the shop and some improvements to the cattle barn.
Click here to see reports from this past fall harvest season.
