Stories about the weather in northern Illinois
Take note of Team USA’s opening ceremony blazers. They are made with USA-grown wool. Actually, the Ralph Lauren website lists it as USA-grown Responsible Wool Standard-certified wool.
Maybe it’s time to put some eggs in a different basket — that is, livestock. And since cattle prices are formidable for newcomers, I suggest a more reasonable approach to diversification: sheep.
The fairs have started and my granddaughters have been busy walking, setting up, washing and trimming their four market lambs and one yearling ewe.
Wet and hot conditions in northern Illinois are impacting crop growth, as well as providing an opportunity for increased disease pressure this year.
Is it still there for the crop? That’s the big nitrogen question after a wet spring.
The emergence of corn tassels is a pivotal moment in the life cycle of a corn plant.
Updated data from the recent planted acreage and grain stocks reports were plugged into the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new crop supply and demand balance sheets.
During my travels, one question seems to be always popping up, one which many producers are not sure of answers. That is: What is regenerative agriculture?
If you have ever hung out with a farmer after planting is done and they are just waiting for the plants to grow, you have been asked the infamous question, “Want to go for a ride?”
For planting corn, we had three weather windows and overall the planting looks pretty good. Looking back now, we should have been planting like crazy when it was cold.
Researchers at Purdue’s Agronomy Center for Research and Education are addressing an important issue to farmers everywhere — drought tolerance.
Corn and the farmers who grow it weren’t having a good day. Two U.S. Department of Agriculture reports both brought negative news for corn supplies and corn prices.
In the showdown between ground and aerial fungicide applications, planes and drones had a slight edge over ground equipment, according to research from Beck’s Hybrids.
Stunted, yellowing corn plants along field edges have been attributed to herbicide drift, insect feeding and soil compaction over the years, but research suggests it’s due to edge effect.
Planting 2024 was nowhere near as smooth as we had hoped for once fields were fertilized with preparations for spring planting.
Clay Geyer, former From the Fields columnist, is back this year to share updates from his farm in northern Indiana.
The Fourth of July is a highlight of the year on our family farm. Each summer, my family gets together for a traditional cookout, celebrating our nation with delicious food and the company of loved ones.
Understanding the factors contributing to fungal infections and implementing effective management practices are crucial for safeguarding your harvest.
A wet spring and a long planting season was a common theme among agronomists representing a large chunk of the western Corn Belt at the AgriGold Specialty Crops Conference.
Aaron Rients wears a lot of different hats — farmer, seed dealer, board member and field trialist, among others.
Summer is finally here in northern Illinois. Temperatures are going to be hot this weekend. We call it Georgia weather, teasing our daughter who lives in Georgia. Luckily, we have had more rain than they have had.
As I write this we are halfway through our lamb slaughter event. This celebration involves eating the native foods along with processing the lambs, so Ruth and I are introduced to some new — to us — foods and customs.
We began plant 2024 in March, and we ended Friday, May 31. It was the longest planting season in my 50-year experience of planting. We have corn that is waist-high and some that is just peeping through the soil.
During the first two weeks of June, the Rahn family is going in many different directions, including making hay and spraying a second pass of herbicides to control weeds in their crop fields.
Agricultural producers should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline after planting is complete.
In spite of fluctuations in commodity prices, farmland values remain steady, said Howard Halderman, president of the Halderman Farm Management and Real Estate Services, during a webinar.
Quint Shambaugh, principal of Pinion LLC, discussed the agronomics and economics of tile drainage during a webinar hosted by Halderman Farm Management and Real Estate Services.
Last month I mentioned the long list of jobs and projects that needed to be done here at the farm. That list hasn’t gotten any shorter. Even though we have been able to cross off some of those tasks, we seem to keep adding to it.
My last article had just been sent off when I got word that my good friend, Jamie Willrett, had left suddenly to be with the Lord. This tragic news shook me and the rest of the cattle industry as we all lost a trusted friend and leader.
A new rye cover crop will hit the market this fall that’s touted for its elite hybrid genetics that provide hardiness and fast germination.
The company that’s bringing a new rye cover crop to market this year has a long history of developing top genetics through its research and breeding programs.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency announced the availability of low-interest physical loss loans for producers affected by the Feb. 8 and Feb. 27 tornadoes in Illinois.
Eric Miller grows more than corn, full-season and double-crop soybeans and wheat on his Piatt County farm.
We are having flashbacks to 2019 in our immediate area. We have a weather station out here and we had about 6.25 inches of rain in April.
The Illinois winter wheat crop may not top the 2023 record average state yield — but it won’t be far from that, as the recent Illinois Wheat Association yield tour showed.
Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill to severely restrict a type of pesticide that’s toxic to bees and other pollinators, saying the legislation “is more anti-farmer than it is pro-pollinator.”
A wind farm in southwest Iowa suffered a direct hit from a powerful tornado that crumpled five of the massive, power-producing towers, including one that burst into flames. But experts say fortunately such incidents are rare.
Agricultural reports across Federal Reserve Districts in the Corn Belt were mixed, as drought conditions eased in some districts, but farm finances and incomes remained a concern.
Steve McNally dug into the soil to reveal a freshly planted corn seed. “Soil conditions are real good. I plant about two inches deep and there’s very nice moisture down there,” he said.
Farmers throughout Illinois might want the rain to take a break, but that might not happen anytime soon, according to the state climatologist.
When it comes to wind in the spring in the Midwest, it’s complicated.
Heavy rains that have hit portions of Illinois and Indiana raise concerns over the survivability of corn that’s already planted and other issues that go along with a wet spring.
Monthly average temperatures during “meteorological winter” were above freezing throughout a sizable chunk of Illinois, and the $64,000 question is — how has that impacted insect populations?
The farm-to-port export chain from Illinois to Oregon and beyond was the focus of a recent tour for 12 South Koreans hosted by Kansas State University’s International Grains Program.
More weather events are bringing more challenges here at River Oak. The corn is planted, but a few acres will be on the list for replanting due to standing water after frequent rain the last 10 days.
We live back in the woods, so the only time I witness the sun rise is when we get started at o-dark-thirty and get out and about on the ranch somewhere. Turkey season came in mid-April and is soon to wrap up.
While overall economic activity expanded slightly since late February, ag sector concerns remain due to income prospects and weather.
Food companies are using technology to improve sustainability at every step of the supply chain.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of what is referred to as the foundation of the modern crop insurance program.