From the Fields: Higher numbers

I am sure you are just as anxious to get 2020 over with and hoping that 2021 will be a little more predictable. Last week I was hopeful we would know who our next president would be by the writing of this article. I believe we are closer to knowing who it probably is, but it sure has been a roller coaster of emotions for everyone involved. It looks like the pollsters have fallen out of favor as they once again were incorrect on their predictions of a massive blue wave. This year has also been unpredictable. Who can have foreseen commodity prices rise to their levels, harvest completed quickly with yields higher than last year?

We finished with our last field of corn this week to complete our harvest. Our yields for corn were 2% to 3% higher than last year and soybeans were 8% to 9% higher. For the first time in four years, we have been able to get fall tillage started assisted from our dry season. My son, Cody, has been using the in-line ripper to break up the hard pan to allow the water to penetrate and percolate the soil. My brother, Jerry, has been spraying the fall burndown with 2,4-D, Roundup and Canopy herbicides. We have opted to plant the waterways and highly erosive areas with cover crops. Some of the acres we normally would have planted with cover crops are planted with wheat. This is a test year for determining if we will put wheat back in the lineup, as we have not planted wheat for many years.

On the way home Tuesday, I noticed in the skyline was a bright glow with billows of smoke pouring in the air. A couple weeks ago we had a massive fire consume over seven miles of crops and buildings and I hoped this was not another catastrophe. Fortunately, I arrived at the field with numerous other vehicles to see a controlled burn. We were thankful.

There are only a few fields left in our surrounding area and I believe they will be done by this week. We have not had any reports of farm injuries in our area and are thankful for the bountiful harvest to date.

Greenville, Ill.