Joe Sperfslage operates a family farm in Linn County near Coggon, growing 1,800 acres of corn, 800 acres of soybeans and 150 acres of wheat. Sperfslage is the Linn County Farm Bureau vice president and a board member of River Valley Cooperative in eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. “About half of our acres end up in cover crops each year,” Sperfslage said, depending on market opportunity. About 90% of the farm is no-till. He gets help from his father, Joe, and hires seasonal help as needed. He is also a founding member and president of his local FFA alumni chapter.
Joe Sperfslage, East Central Iowa CropWatch Journal
Joe Sperfslage operates a family farm in Linn County near Coggon, growing 1,800 acres of corn, 800 acres of soybeans and 150 acres of wheat.
Introducing Joe Sperfslage
April 20: It was a good week for book work
It was a good week for book work. It was so dry we’re not going to get anywhere anyway that gets us in the field. We also had hail and tornadoes going around us. Manchester, northeast of here, got bombed with rain. Farmers are itching to get out, but we’ve had lots of big storms the past few weeks.
April 27: Meaningful field work limited
Between the volume of rain and its frequency, meaningful field work across east-central Iowa has largely been limited to tile repair. A brief window opened up the first half of last week for some spraying to take place and a handful of planters to roll on lighter ground, but heavy rain returned on Thursday and more came today. Overall, progress of any sort is behind where growers would like to be at this point in the season.
May 4: Weather finally turning the corner
The weather pattern in east-central Iowa finally seems to be turning the corner. Fields are starting to dry out, and equipment is beginning to move, though overall planting progress remains minimal at this point. We continue to watch the forecast closely as the window to make up lost ground is narrowing.
May 11: Week of excellent progress
After a slow start to planting, most concerns have been eliminated by a week of excellent progress, and most guys in this area will likely be wrapping up this week. After an April of unrelenting rain, some are already voicing concern that the spigot may have prematurely shut off on us. We wouldn't be farmers if we didn't always fret over the weather, but a shot of rain wouldn't be turned away, if only to ease concerns.
May 18: Forecast looks perfect for even and fast emergence
Not much to report here. Planting wrapped up for the most part last week, and the forecast looks perfect for an even and fast emergence.
May 22: Rain loosens soil for easier emergence
The past week brought measurable rain over several days, giving the soil the opportunity to soak it in and loosen the crust for easier emergence. The cool weather that followed has put a pause on crop development, but the forecast is turning much warmer. With the excellent moisture we have in place, I expect black and brown fields to start exhibiting a sheen of green soon.
June 1: Calmer days allow sprayers to return
Post Memorial Day weather has been excellent. Winds have been calmer, allowing sprayers to return to the fields. Some operations have begun to sidedress corn, and most of the first hay cutting appears to have come off without being rained on. Over the weekend, we managed to snag a few tenths of an inch of rain, though showers were spotty and amounts varied depending on where you were.
June 8: As close to ideal as one could get
Last week's weather was about as close to ideal as one could get here in east-central Iowa. Farm operations were able to move forward uninhibited with sunny skies and calm winds before rain moved in Thursday evening and continued off and on throughout the weekend. The forecast is calling for heat, heat, heat and additional rain this week — put it all together and we have the perfect equation for a great crop. I'm certainly not counting my eggs yet as we are far from the end of the growing season, but at this point in the season I'll take good news when I have it.
