Farm

GROWMARK aid to Lucas Benning

Lucas Benning, an agronomy management major at Illinois State University, is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from  GROWMARK, Inc. He is the son of Carl and Karen Benning of Shobonier.

This year, the regional agricultural supply and grain marketing cooperative presented 39 scholarships, totaling $41,500, to students majoring in agriculture or accounting from 14 colleges and universities.

Ashley Snow is shown on Monday raking this season's third cutting of hay on land owned by David and Ruth Stone. The field is located about five miles west of Vandalia. Recent weather has been good for harvest activities as well as baling hay. 

Rains fell heaviest across the northern half of the state last week and slowed soybean harvest. But statewide, the corn harvest continued with little interruption.
The unseasonably warm weather and breezy conditions helped dry fields out quickly after the rain showers moved through.
Temperatures across the state were 7-9 degrees above normal for the week, and precipitation averaged .9 inch statewide, only slightly above normal.
There were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork last week.

Though some of the northern parts of the state received rain showers last week, Fayette County farmers were able to continue their harvest activities. Officials say that more than half of the corn has now been harvested, and many producers have started on soybeans. This year's harvest has gone much better than last year, when persistent rains delayed planting in the spring and hampered harvest activities in the fall.