2019 Crop Year

Harvest Season

Week Ending November 2

We did not have a very productive week of harvesting due to the bad weather. We had over three inches of rain last Saturday and another 2-3 inches of rain and snow during the week.

We were able to do some corn early in the week but the ground conditions were very wet. The tracks on the equipment enabled us to run for a couple of days before the snow stopped us.

We are finding very wet corn in the fields we have left to harvest. Moisture levels are 28-35%. The wet corn is going to be a challenge for our dryer for the rest of the season.

Hopefully, the weather will get somewhat back to normal next week.

The weather delay did give us a chance to get in some family time over the weekend including a trip to Dad's Weekend at the University of Illinois to visit Kristine and Karoline.

Week Ending October 26th

We finished up harvest around Farmer City in the middle of the week and started moving machines north. We were able to start harvesting soybeans around home on Thursday. We got in a couple of good days on soybeans before heavy rains came Saturday. We had over 3 inches of rain on many fields on Saturday night. Harvest progress will be stalled for a while.

Corn yields remained good in the Farmer City area through the end of harvest there. Several fields averaged around 250 bushels per acre with moisture levels around 19%.

Soybean yields around Yorkville so far have been variable depending on where the heavy spring rains sat on the fields and planting date. Early planted fields have been around 80 while the late planted fields have been around 70 bushels per acre.

Fertilizer and limestone applications have also been completed around Farmer City. The spreading crew has also gotten moved back home.

Tillage work continues around Farmer City. It will be delayed for a while due to the heavy rains over the weekend.

Week Ending October 19th

We had a good week of harvesting in Farmer City. We finished soybeans mid-week and switched over to corn. Soybean yields were variable across the fields mainly due to variations in summer rainfall. Yields continued to be better than expected given the late planting date, wet spring, and dry summer. Most fields averaged above 70 bushels per acre.

We were able to get started this week by applying fall dry fertilizer and limestone. The fields were soil sampled on 2.5-acre grids this spring. We are variable rate applying potash, phosphorus, and limestone based on those soil tests.

Tillage work continues as well.

Below are some pictures from the week.

Week Ending October 12th

We had a good week of harvesting around Farmer City this week. We were able to run most of the week in soybeans before being rained out on Friday. We switched back to corn after the rains on Saturday.

Yields continue to be better than expected with most fields averaging in the mid 70's on soybeans and above 225 bushels per acre on corn. Corn moisture levels are running at 20-22%.

We have started tillage work behind the combines. With a short harvest window, we are trying to move as fast as possible before winter sets in. We had our first frost on Saturday morning. Winter is coming.

Week Ending October 5th

We started harvesting this week. It is a late start for us but the crops are finally mature after the late spring planting and cool summer temperatures that delayed crop development.

The week started with us moving the rest of the harvest machinery down to the Farmer City area. We haul most of our machinery between our two farming areas on trucks/trailers. The combines and three grain carts were the last to be hauled down this week.

We started on corn and then quickly switched to soybeans when we found some dry beans. Despite very green leaves, the corn was fairly dry at around 22% moisture. The beans quickly came down to 13% moisture by mid-week. Yields so far have been better than expected with field averages of 70 to 80 bushels per acre. Given the late planting date and dry spell in the summer, we are very happy with these yields.

We are running two Claas 780 combines again this year with 16-row corn heads and 45-foot draper heads in soybeans.

Below are some pictures from the week.

Spring and Summer Work

Week Ending June 2nd

This week, we were able to get some field work done but mostly waited out more rain. With sun in the forecast, we hope to get in the fields in Yorkville this week.

Week Ending May 26th

This week, we were fortunate enough to finish planting corn in Farmer City. With a run of good weather, we also planted 75% of our soybeans in central Illinois, and are anxious to move equipment home.

In Yorkville, the rain only let up long enough for us to pause to celebrate Bob and Sarah's middle child, Karoline's high school graduation. In the fall, she will attend the University of Illinois to study Art Education. Congratulations, Karoline!

Pre-Planting Work

It's been a chilly, wet spring, but we've had plenty of projects to keep us busy in the meantime!

The equipment is ready to go, but as the pictures prove, there's still some drying out to do. We were able to make progress on the Farmer City shed and do some rock picking.

Farm dog Lola is ready for the storms to stop!