This week, the National Corn Growers Association continued its ninth 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 Jim Raben, who farms in southern Illinois, earlier this week. Persistent wet weather has hindered planting progress and will potentially have ramifications that last through harvest.
“In southern Illinois, planting is really far behind schedule. We are wet, like everyone else,” said Raben. “We couldn’t get into the fields to plant for the last few days because of how wet it is, and we expect more thunderstorms today.”
To listen to the full interview, including how these conditions may impact farmers’ decisions in many parts of the Corn Belt, click here.
Stay tuned over the coming weeks as Field Notes follows the growers who have opened their farms, families and communities up this year and meet the true faces of modern American agriculture.
