Harvest began for us this year on August 31st and ended on October 27th. We experienced some of the best weather for harvest we've had with only three days of rainouts. Yields were variable and somewhat corresponded with rainfall amounts from the summer. Despite how little rainfall we received, our corn and bean yields were surprisingly good. We were critically dry throughout the entire month of June. Corn looked like pineapple fields. Many had thrown in the towel and several areas were within days of what most assumed would be sub 100 bushel corn fields. Then on June 29th, we received a quick inch of rain along with strong winds from the derecho. That rainfall event pushed the low pressure system out of our area and sequential rains started arriving thereafter. It was truly amazing to see how well the corn yielded on such few inches of rainfall. We were very fortunate that we had a full profile of soil moisture going into the growing season where the creeks and tile were running. Currently we are not in that position as we are very dry. We have wrapped up our fall tillage and fertilizer applications. We are now cleaning up and working on equipment as well as setting up our new farm shop. Plans are underway for our 2024 crop and we will soon begin hauling grain from our bins to Bartlett Grain in nearby Jacksonville to fulfill our December contracts. Lastly, we'd like to thank all our employees for their dedication and long hours away from home and family. We could not be the business we are without our employees. I hope you all have wonderful Thanksgiving!
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| Putting the last load of corn for the year in the bin. |
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| Harvesting corn on the Alexander Farm. Mile long rows! |
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| Cutting nonGMO soybeans on the University of Illinois Hunter #3 farm near New Berlin. |
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| Tag teaming soybeans in Greenfield. |
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| Greenfield soybeans at dusk. |
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| Harvesting our 34 entry hybrid corn plot. |
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| Harvesting corn on the UofI farm. Getting the end rows off so Wyffels Hybrids can come and harvest there research site. |
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| Dumping corn at our grain facility to be moved into the dryer and then into storage bins. |
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| Harvesting corn down the lane from our main shop on the LWJ Creed field. |
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| One of the first loads of corn of the year off the Grand Prairie farm which has been in our family for almost 150 years. |
