This week, the National Corn Growers Association continued its seventh season of Field Notes, a series that takes readers behind the farm gate to follow the year in the life of American farm families. While these growers come from diverse geographic areas and run unique operations, they share a common love for U.S. agriculture and the basic values that underpin life in farming communities.
Field Notes caught up with Chad Wetzel, who farms outside of Dallas in Texas. Despite unseasonably wet weather, Wetzel’s harvest progress has been slowed but his farm has escaped the damage farmers further south have seen.
“We are approximately 75 percent of the way through corn harvest,” he explained. “We saw about 20 inches of rain here in August, which is unheard of in northeast Texas. It has been a bit wet and the corn has stayed wet, so that has slowed harvest progress. But, we are finally in some dry weather now and making some good headway.”
While progress has fallen a bit behind schedule, Wetzel notes that he is seeing above-average corn yields this year.
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Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Field Notes follows the growers who have opened their farms, families and communities this year to meet the true faces of modern American agriculture.
COVID-19 Resources
NCGA is taking a series of actions to do our part to help contain the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the economic fallout it is creating for corn farmers and our customers. Short term, this means instituting policies to protect the health and safety of our stakeholders and the broader communities we serve. Long term, we’re focused on creating solutions to help corn farmers and our customers recover from the financial impacts of this crisis.
CommonGround
CommonGround is a group of farmers connecting with consumers through conversations about science and research and personal stories about food and misinformation surrounding farming. Supported by the NCGA and state corn organizations.
SHP
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is a farmer-led initiative that fosters transformation in agriculture through improved soil health. Administered by NCGA the partnership has more than 220 working farms enrolled in 16 states. SHP’s mission is to utilize science and data to partner with farmers who are adopting conservation agricultural practices that improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the farm.
