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Farm

  • Farm Briefs

    Dry conditions hurt pastures and wheat

    Statewide temperatures and precipitation were near normal last week, with the northern half of the state experiencing slightly cooler temperatures and greater rainfall totals.

    Most soils across the state continue to be in need of additional moisture due to the high winds last week that rapidly dried up any rain that was received.

    The acres of corn that remain to be harvested experienced some lodging after the high winds.

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  • Favorable weather aids harvest progress

     Last week was yet another warm and dry period for all of the state. Harvest progression has slowed slightly, as much of what is left is in isolated pockets throughout the state.
    Most areas of the state are very close to being done with corn harvest, and are wrapping up the harvest of the late-planted soybeans as well.

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  • Harvest winding down

    As of Oct. 1, the corn for grain yield in Illinois was expected to drop 14 bushels from the Sept. 1 forecast to 160 bushels per acre. Production would be 1.98 billion bushels, 3 percent less than last year’s crop.
    As of Oct. 3, 74 percent of the crop was harvested, which compares to 5 percent last year at this time and a five-year average of 31 percent. This year’s harvest progress is just 1 percentage point behind the record level of 75 percent in 1991, and advanced throughout the month of September right at that pace.

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  • EPA approval of E15 meets mixed reviews

    The approval last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of a higher  ethanol fuel blend was met with mixed reviews in agriculture circles.
    EPA’s endorsement of the 15- percent ethanol blend encouraged  producers, who have waited years for the current 10 percent blend to be raised.

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  • Bountiful Beans

    Larry Snyder, an employee of Cripe Grain in Bluff City, oversees the dumping of a load of soybeans on Monday. Most area farmers have finished with corn and are nearing the end of the soybean harvest. Favorable weather has resulted in extraordinary yields and a quick harvest for many producers.

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  • Farm Briefs

    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.

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  • Illinois grain stocks down from 2009

    Corn stocks in all positions in Illinois on Sept. 1 totaled 246.3 million bushels, down 18 percent from last year’s stocks of 298.9 million bushels. Off-farm stocks, at 206.3 million bushels, accounted for 84 percent of the total. The indicated disappearance from all positions for the June-August quarter was 519 million bushels, up slightly from the same time a year ago.

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  • One More Cutting

    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. 

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  • Harvest in high gear

    As farmers flipped the calendar to October last week, it must have seemed strange. Unlike last year, when they’d hardly gotten into the fields by Oct. 1, many county producers now have nearly 90 percent of their corn in the bin.
    Though there’s still some corn out there, it’s getting harder and harder to spot. And farmers have put a big dent in their soybean acres, as well.
    “The last four years have been strange,” said Ron Marshel, Fayette County Farm Bureau manager. “We don’t know what normal is anymore.”

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  • Harvest continues

    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.

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