Week ending February 23rd...

Another week closer until planting begins.  However, the biggest snow storm of the year quickly dashed our thoughts of planting corn.  In the pictures below we are installing our starter system.  Once this is completed, we will partner with Jenner Sales and add a liquid Force CS system which we plan to inject in our starter line and put in the furrow along with the starter fertilizer.  This process will take considerable time and is why we've already got the planter out and started working on it.

National Ag Statistics Service released their initial yield estimates by county and for those who took the GRIP/HRO policies there are some significant crop insurance payments.  This will help ease some of the pressure the drought of 2012 created by producing the worst yields since I began farming or since 1988 for my father.  Farmers are an optimist group and we continually believe "next year will be better" - sounds like a Cub fan...
   

Working on the new planter 

 Owen enjoying our biggest snow of the year

Max helping scoop the driveway 

Our first load of seed corn has arrived

Week ending February 16th...

45 days until planting usually begins in our area...  The winter days and months have gone by quickly.  We continue to haul corn from our bins to end users along the Illinois River.  When the weather doesn't allow us to work outside, we have been indoors getting spring equipment ready.  Next week, we will bring our new planter to the shop and begin installing the liquid starter fertilizer and Force CS system.  We will also be taking our first load of seed corn on Monday. 

Last week we attended our local agronomy group's bi-annual meeting in Jacksonville.  There we discussed past and future agronomic practices to help improve our yields.  Later we spent a long weekend with Wyffels Hybrids in Cancun.  Upon our immediate return from Mexico, we loaded up and drove down to Louisville to take in the National Farm Machinery Show. 

The time to be ready for spring planting will soon be upon us...  Have a great week!

Another load of corn heading to the IL River

 

 Loading corn into the trailer from the grain bins

MC Agronomics agronomy meeting in Jacksonville 

Sunrise in Cancun

 

 

Week ending February 2nd...

Last weekend Moon River Designs came out to the shop and applied our business' logo and DOT # on the new truck we recently purchased.  Just a few more finishing touches and it will be ready to haul it's first load of corn to the elevator.  Early in the week we found out we had successfully passed a random IRS audit.  This was the first time we have ever been audited and thankfully, it went well.  Later in the week a cold front smashed into the unseasonably warm weather we had (60-70's) and dumped a much needed 1.75" of rain on our farms.  This rain was enough to get all our tile lines running which is a good sign as we move closer to planting season.  

Later in the week we attended the Top Producer Seminar in Chicago.  This is a great seminar we try to attend annually.  All the market guru's agreed that we will either have high prices or low prices....all depending on if the drought is over and we can raise an average to above average crop.  Jerry Gulke speculated that if we plant 99.3M acres of corn and raise a 160 bpa trend line yield, our farm gate price will be $3.40.  If we have another drought and raise 125 bpa with the same 99.3M planted acres, then he suggests price will be $7.30.  And Allen Motew who is a Meteorologist from QT Weather showed maps shown below that suggest we will have another hot and dry July and August.  However, he believes their is also a good chance for those of us who comprise the Mississippi River basin to have a wetter than average spring.  So the take home message was nobody knows and time will eventually tell.  It was good to catch up with friends and business partners while in Chicago as well as take in some of the Windy City's local food establishments.  

Have a great week!

Kevin & Katrina Periman of Moon River Designs applying our logo and DOT # on the "new to us" semi

The finished product - we replaced a maroon lightning bolt on the hood with some "less bold" pinstripes...

 The tile are finally running!!!

The first time our large tile project from Fall '11 has ever really had any water coming out of it 

Summer weather maps from the Top Producer Seminar - doesn't look good for July and August...