Drew DeSutter farms with his dad Jim, uncle Randy and cousin Matthew in Knox, Mercer and Henry counties. He returned to the farm after graduating from the University of Illinois in 2009 with a degree in ag business and farm management. The family follows a 50-50 corn-soybean rotation and has been using no-till for 30 years. DeSutter also has a few cows and puts up hay in the summer. He and his wife, Adrienne, have four children, ages 3 to 9 years old, and live in New Windsor. He is active in the Knox County Farm Bureau.

Machinery has been running non-stop in the area this past week as farmers tackled a variety of tasks, including tillage, spraying and planting. Some focused solely on beans, others finished their bean planting, while a few managed to plant both corn and beans. Windy conditions created challenges for spraying, but despite this, it appears a significant number of acres were covered in a short time. On Sunday, the region received about 0.6 to 1 inch of rain. Although it’s still early in the season, many farmers took advantage of the excellent soil conditions to maximize this prime planting window.

Scattered rain showers caused some delays for farmers, but many machines were up and running over the weekend. I've noticed that corn is starting to row, and beans are beginning to emerge from the ground. The upcoming warmer weather and a more active pattern next week might slow planting progress, but it’ll be a boost for crops already in the ground. The grass is growing quickly, and if I don’t mow soon, it might be knee-high before I know it.

The first half of last week gave planters a solid window to run hard, but Wednesday night through Friday brough off-and-on rain. Now quite a bit of corn and soybeans have emerged. The rains seemed to help crops get up and going. Alfalfa is progressing well, and I’ve spotted quite a few cows grazing on some nice-looking pastures. This week’s forecast calls for higher temperatures and some sunshine, which should push growth along and help farmers wrap up planting.

The weather has been beautiful this week, and the crops already in the ground are thriving. Most farmers seem to be finished planting or nearing the final stretch. I’ve noticed some farmers working on hay. The upcoming week is shaping up to feel more like June, with early-season heat quickly drying out the soil. A good rain would be welcome.

Last week brought plenty of heat and dry conditions, giving crops a strong push in growth. Soybeans, however, would have benefited from some rain. The thick residue has slowed their emergence this season. Hopefully the forecasted showers arrive where they’re most needed while sparing the areas that don’t.

We got some much-needed rain — 2 to 3 inches in many areas. Cool weather has slowed crop growth. Post-spraying on corn is underway. I’m sure some farmers will be side-dressing nitrogen as well. Sunshine and warmth later this week will be beneficial.

This past week brought an unexpected inch of rain midweek, and the combination of moisture and recent heat has really helped the corn take off. Fieldwork has been busy, with sprayers and hay equipment working between rain showers as more precipitation is expected in the coming days. So far, most crops are looking healthy, with good growing conditions overall.

Another widespread round of rain brought 1 to 1.5 inches mid-week. I’d say much of the corn has been post-sprayed by now, and some soybean spraying will likely happen in the coming days. The soybeans are finally growing enough to look good, though they’ve felt slow this year — but maybe I think that every season! Hope you have a great week!

The past week was mostly humid and cloudy — typical early summer. Post-emergence spraying dominated the workload. Corn is holding up really well and looks strong overall. Soybeans, on the other hand, are struggling in spots, appearing uneven and yellow, especially in areas with heavy residue. Some sunshine would go a long way in helping them grow out of it. Looking ahead, the forecast is calling for a hot, stormy week.

We picked up two rains last week totaling around 0.7 to 1 inch, which was enough to help push the crops along. The recent heat has really accelerated things, and the beans are looking a lot better than they did just a week ago. I’ve been hearing the second cutting of alfalfa is better than the first. Precipitation has been just enough to get by hand to mouth, really. I know June can be drier, but with the heat ramping up, it’d be nice to have a little more moisture in reserve heading into pollination. There’s some rain in the forecast this week, though most of it looks like it could skirt north of us. Hopefully a couple good showers will shake loose in our direction.

Last week brought heat and scattered showers. Some areas saw as much as 3-5 inches of rain, while neighboring spots barely scraped half an inch. Our fields landed somewhere in the middle with about 1 to 1.5 inches. Corn is moving along nicely, roughly three leaves away from tasseling. I’ve been hearing some early reports of tar spot popping up, so that’s something to watch. Beans are looking stronger by the day, and overall, corn stands are holding up well with only a few thin patches here and there. Wishing you a great week ahead and a happy Fourth of July!

We managed to sneak in about an inch of much-needed rain over the Fourth of July weekend. With that moisture, a lot of corn is beginning to tassel. I’d expect fungicide applications to start ramping up this week. Fortunately, it looks like the heat is easing off a bit, and there are chances of rain throughout the week, which should be a big help as pollination gets underway.

Somewhere between 2-3 inches of rain fell over most of the area over the past week. There were areas of flooding around the Quad Cities, but our immediate area seemed to soak in all the precipitation. On corn, fungicide applications are going on in between rains. More rain is forecasted for the upcoming week. I have very little complaints on the crop so far.

This week’s theme was focused on pollination concerns. A few corn fields showed signs of incomplete pollination, though it’s difficult to assess the overall impact at this stage. My sense is that it’s not severe enough to affect yields in a major way, but it’s still frustrating, especially given the favorable weather conditions. Many farmers applied soybean fungicide last week, and the beans are looking remarkably clean for this point in the season. Over the weekend, we received another 2 to 3 inches of rain. Most of it soaked in well, but the soil now seems fully saturated.

Another week brings another 1.5 to 2 inches of rain. The heat and humidity continue their relentless summer stretch, setting the stage for increased crop disease pressure. With moisture building and temperatures rising, it’ll be interesting to see how disease factors into final yield. Looking at the latest drought monitor, nearly every corner of the Corn Belt has received rain. Farmers are gearing up for a big crop and so far, all signs point in that direction. But there’s still a long road ahead.

Fields have dried out after excessive moisture, improving crop conditions as soybeans were starting to show some stress from too much rain. The week ahead brings ideal temperatures and minimal rain chances, though showers may return by the weekend. Markets remain weak — every bushel will matter this fall. My kids are going back to school this week. Summer goes by fast!

Soybeans are showing some yellowing and signs of sudden death syndrome in spots. Corn maturity is ahead of schedule in some fields, with plants already at full dent. Ears have solid kernel counts and good weight. Overall plant health remains surprisingly good given the weather, though continued hot and humid weather could shift that. Hay was mowed and baled this past week, but drying was a challenge due to humidity levels.

Not much change in the fields since last week. Plant health is beginning to decline, which is expected given the time of year and the ongoing hot, humid conditions. The weather continues to be relentless — high heat and humidity remain the dominant theme. At this point, I’m more than ready for a break in the temperatures and a shift toward cooler weather.

The cooler weather this past week was a welcome change — refreshing and a clear signal that fall is creeping in. Corn disease has really taken hold and thickened up fast. I think some of those early, overly optimistic yield projections are starting to get reeled back. On the flip side, soybeans continue to impress across the board. This stretch of weather is definitely giving off those early fall vibes.

Corn is changing fast, and disease pressure is clearly winning out. Tar spot, southern rust and gray leaf spot are widespread, with symptoms accelerating across fields. While ear size and kernel weight look solid, stalk quality is increasingly suspect. Soybeans are beginning to turn, but progress is slow. August brought limited rainfall, and the stress is starting to show as plants finish out. Some fields may be vulnerable to lodging, especially where canopy density is high or root strength is compromised. Given current conditions, I wouldn’t be surprised to see combines rolling this coming week. Corn is nearing maturity, and stalk integrity may push harvest timelines forward. Beans could follow soon if weather patterns shift and dry-down accelerates.

The weather’s been beautiful this past week, and a few farmers took advantage, getting into corn fields over the weekend. More will likely follow as conditions hold. Soybeans, on the other hand, seem to have hit a bit of a slowdown.

Harvest is picking up speed across the area. The recent heat and lack of rainfall have accelerated crop maturity, and corn is drying down fast. I’d expect soybeans to start coming off this week too — they’ve really turned. Yields are still a bit of a question mark on our own ground, but from conversations with other farmers and what we’re seeing so far, results are variable depending on hybrid selection. One of the bigger challenges will be getting the crop out quickly enough to avoid harvest losses from overly rapid dry-down.

Harvest is in full swing across the area, with most farmers having taken off some corn, soybeans or a mix of both. Corn yields are proving variable and, overall, not on par with last year’s crop, while moisture levels are unusually low — ideal for fast harvest but reflective of the season’s dryness at the end. Plant health on corn remains my No. 1 concern. Early maturing soybeans are showing good potential, though rain delays have limited how much has been cut so far. Spotty showers have passed through without much impact, and the region continues to experience dry conditions.

The past week has brought continued hot and dry weather, which has allowed farmers to make excellent progress on fall harvest. Soybean cutting was widespread, and while yield reports for both corn and beans have been relatively quiet, early indications suggest that soybean yields are looking quite promising overall. This stretch of dry weather is a double-edged sword — speeds up harvest but can also reduce bushels if conditions become excessively dry. It’ll be worth watching how this plays out in the coming weeks. Wishing everyone a safe and productive week ahead.

It’s been another hot and dry week, and unfortunately, several combine fires have occurred over the past few days. Anyone who’s experienced one knows that under the right conditions, they’re nearly impossible to prevent. While they can build more machines, they can’t replace the people operating them — your safety matters most. A heartfelt thanks goes out to the volunteer fire departments who responded quickly and helped contain these fires. A lot of soybeans were cut, but there’s still plenty of crops standing. There’s a slight chance of rain Monday night into Tuesday morning, though as the saying goes, “when in drought, have some doubt.” Hopefully this dry spell breaks soon so farmers can finish harvest safely. Many have been working long hours with little rest — please take care and stay safe.

We received between half an inch to an inch of rain this past week — not enough to break the drought, but certainly welcome. Soybeans responded well, picking up moisture and cutting closer to ideal levels. Many growers are wrapping up soybean harvest and shifting back to corn, and the fields are clearing quickly. With decent weather ahead, this week is shaping up to be another productive stretch before turning to more active weather by the weekend.

Harvest continues at a steady pace across the area. Some farmers are nearing the finish line, while others have already wrapped things up. Dry fertilizer applications have been widespread, and we finally saw a change in the weather — Saturday night brought over an inch of much-needed rain.

Harvest continues for some farmers in the area, though progress has slowed due to last weekend’s storms, which knocked down portions of corn and made fields more challenging to navigate. A fair amount of fall anhydrous application began last week, and there’s been increased activity in working corn stalk residue across the region. The inch to inch and a half of rain from the previous weekend helped green up some grass, but the moisture didn’t stick around long. Conditions remain dry, and the forecast suggests only minimal precipitation this week.

There’s a lot of anhydrous going on across many fields now as farmers take advantage of the dry stretch to catch up on fall fieldwork. While some crops are still being harvested, those acres are getting fewer and farther between. The earlier-than-usual harvest finish and continued good weather have opened a window for jobs that often get delayed or skipped due to post-harvest conditions. I’ve also seen cattle turned out on corn stalks, likely moving off pastures that are drying up or played out for the season.

As I look back on the year, it was marked by a fast planting and harvest window under predominantly dry conditions. June held fairly dry, but July brought a shift to wet and humid weather that, while seemingly ideal, ended up creating a perfect environment for crop disease. Yields varied more than usual, influenced by hybrid selection, rainfall amounts and location. Every season brings its own set of challenges, and this one was no exception. Still, I’d call it a good crop year overall. That said, I know many farmers were hoping for a great year, especially with commodity prices low and input costs high. That economic pressure weighed heavily and may have clouded what was, in many ways, a solid growing season.