This week, the National Corn Growers Association continued its seventh 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 April Hemmes, who farms in Iowa.
“We have a great crop growing, but we have gone two weeks now without measurable rain. It is really starting to show,” she explained. “I just went to the great Iowa State Fair yesterday. What I saw on my trip down there really showed signs of stress. The wear-and-tear on Iowa corn is really starting to show.”
To find out more, including how Hemmes will be helping federal legislators and regulators have a first-hand experience with the incredible technology used to increase sustainability on modern farms, click here.
James Raben, who farms in southern Illinois, also took time to share his insight into current crop conditions. Like Hemmes, Raben sees moisture as an issue for many farmers in his area.
“We’ve had some dry spells,” he explained. “Luckily, we did get an inch or two of rain last weekend. Still, the corn crop looks fairly good, and the ears are beginning to dry right on schedule.”
To find out more, including what Raben has heard about crop conditions elsewhere and why waiting to harvest can save farmers money in the current market, 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.