Joe Stuckel and his wife Amber, along with their six young children, farm near Buckley in Iroquois County. They are first generation farmers, growing corn and soybeans. They also raise cattle marketed as freezer beef. In addition to farming, Stuckel has a seed business and does some custom seeding of cover crops. They have utilized cover crops and strip-till/no-till since they began farming seven years ago.

Not much activity this week as 1 to 2 inches of rain fell on Monday. Some field work and planting resumed Friday and Saturday. Corn and beans that were planted in the second week of April have emerged with good stands. Some emerged corn looks pale but should recover nicely if we get some sun and warmth.

Slow but steady progress this week with several interruptions for light rains. Emerged crops still look pale with the cool and sometimes cloudy conditions. Terminating cover crops has been a challenge due to cool temperatures. Lord willing, we will finish planting early this coming week.