“Real Good!” Harvest Progress Reported
Trent Brandenburg is three-quarters done with his corn harvest and one-third done with his soybeans. “I wish it would dry out some more so I could cut beans,” Trent said, alluding to recent heavy rains in he area. Overall, Trent sees the crops as well above average, but not record-setting like 2014. Trent began his corn harvest on September 10, with harvested corn moisture “in the mid 20s (%)”. Due to a drying discount at the elevator, Trent began his harvest. The moisture is running 15 to 17% now.
The dilemma with the harvested corn and soybeans is whether to store or sell. With market prices the lowest in years, will they go up enough to recoup the storage charges accumulated waiting for a market rise,or should the farmer just sell “over the scale.” “It’s a gamble. You need a good market advisor,” Trent observed.
More from The Field Report
Dry Weather Speeds Harvest
Trent Brandenburg is trying to get his field work done "before it rains". Much of the area Trent farms is in "extreme drought" according to the Illinois Drought Monitor https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL map, which is updated every Thursday. The very dry soil [...]
In a Drought, but Corn is Too Wet to Harvest
The current Illinois drought map (11 September) shows severe drought in the northern 40% of Piatt County and moderate drought in the rest of Piatt and adjacent areas of neighboring counties. Trent Brandenburg has barely started harvesting because his corn [...]
Summertime Mowing And Spraying
Trent Brandenburg has been busy mowing his lawn and his roadsides due to the sunshine and frequent rains making his grass grow as well as his corn and soybeans. He has been hiring aerial spraying of fungicides to suppress disease [...]