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 Lowell Neitzel, who farms near Lawrence, Kansas, earlier this week. The USDA report earlier in the week indicated 97 percent of corn acres in his state had reached emergence, and he sees that number being accurate so far as the progress he has heard from fellow farmers.
“I talked to some friends in western Kansas, and their corn has all emerged,” said Neitzel. “Everything around here is fairly well along. Some of the corn that I saw in my travels today is actually starting to tassel, and some is about six inches tall. There is a wide variety in term of progress in this area. It should be an interesting harvest this fall.
Despite continued progress, he believes that a good amount of damage has already been done in terms of the overall crop this year.
To listen to the full interview, 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.
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.
