Blog

Jul 27, 2020

Key Issues: Production

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

“We are glad to know that rain is approaching, and I’m happy for how much we’ve recently. Until last week, we had only had 6/10 of an inch of rain in July. Then, over three days, we got an additional 1 and 8/10 inches. With all of our corn in pollination at some stage, the moisture and slightly less extreme temperatures will help.” – Patty Mann,  Ohio farmer   “We have been receiving some nice rain each week. The corn is looking good. Fully tasseled and looks like the weather is going to cooperate for pollination. Curious to get out and do some yield checks once pollination is done. If we get one more rain in August, we should have a real good corn crop.” – Bryan Biegler, Minnesota farmer   “I would say that our crop would be rated good to excellent. The early planting almost past milk stage. Hopefully, we will be harvesting by mid-September.” – Lowell Neitzel,  Kansas farmer  

Jul 20, 2020

Key Issues: Production

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

  “It has been hot and dry here with less than a tenth of an inch of rain in the past two weeks. The crops are really struggling. The corn looks like it could be okay right now, but it needs rain soon. The soybeans we had to replant, because it was too wet earlier, haven’t gotten rain, and probably won’t come up at all.” – Jim Raben, Illinois farmer   “The corn acres that we did get planted look okay and are starting to tassel. The spots which weren’t water-logged in the spring look pretty good. If we can keep up the heat through August, the corn crop should turn out okay as we haven’t suffered for moisture to this point.”   – Randy Melvin, North Dakota farmer

Jul 13, 2020

Key Issues: Production

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

  “Since last week, we had severe thunderstorms roll through with quite a bit of hail. Crops that were a leaf or two away from tasseling are down to just the stalks. They have no leaves left on them. Plants that were ten-foot-tall are down to my waist. Soybeans were decimated with only the main stem remaining. Our farm was better off than most, but every field has damage.”   – Andy Jobman, Nebraska farmer     “We have had drought in western part of the state and too much wind and water in the eastern. I happen to be in the Goldilocks zone. The forecast looks like we could get half an inch of rain Tuesday and Wednesday, but it looks hot and dry after that. Friends in the western part of Iowa say that if they have one more week of hot, dry conditions, it will be the end of this corn crop.”     – April Hemmes, Iowa farmer

Jul 6, 2020

Key Issues: Production

Author: Cathryn Wojcicki

  “We are hot, dry, and begging for rain. We’ve had a few pop-up showers in the area, but our farm hasn’t had rain since a week ago Saturday. With temperatures in the 90s, we are really cooking. I don’t think that the damage to our corn crop is critical yet, but it looks stressed with leaves that roll in the afternoon. As we near pollination, a popup storm this week would improve the situation substantially. We really need that to keep this crop going.”    – Patty Mann, Ohio farmer     “It has been in the 90s for the past ten days, and the forecast says it will almost 100 for the next ten. It hasn’t rained for more than a week, and there’s only the slightest chance it will in the foreseeable future. Honestly, this is the driest year since 2012. On the dryland corners, the corn is only two-foot-tall and rolled up like an onion plant. Thankfully, our farm has good pivots and deep wells. It is hard to keep up under these conditions with just irrigation though. We could...