A very pleasant weather week brought cooler temperatures that were welcomed as the crop continues to fill. We’ve been in a dry pattern for most of July, but the grass has stayed green, and both corn and beans remain mostly stress‑free. In most of my years of farming, this is the point in the season when I’m the most optimistic about yield potential. Everything looks good, the crop is cruising, and the fields have that “big promise” feel. But experience also reminds me that August has a way of revealing the flaws, even if minor.