Illinois Farmer Raben Talks Corn Crop with Field Notes

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.

This week, Field Notes caught up with Jim Raben, who farms in southern Illinois. While the crop continues to mature, the yields and overall quality of corn and soybeans in his area seem to have been impacted by this year’s difficult growing conditions.

“In southeastern Illinois, crops are maturing for the most part,” said Raben. “We did have some soybeans harvested in the area last week. The yields were 25 to 30 bushels less per acre than what they saw last 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.