The Field Report

March 19, 2024|

Machinery and Tile Repairs While Awaiting Warmer Weather

Trent Brandenburg is enjoying the first day of Spring finishing up some machinery repairs. His fieldwork right now involves fixing broken field tiles and clearing waterways to ensure good drainage during the crop year. Trent has not started serious field work to begin planting yet. “It’s too cold,” he said. He wants a warmer soil temperature in order to get quick germination when he sows his corn and soybean seed.

Trent does not plan any changes in his planting or in his crop protection investment this year. Despite farm publications observing
cutbacks in crop protection chemical purchases, Trent does not plan any cuts. “You shoot yourself in the foot,” he said. “You gotta have a crop to sell,” even when the market price is low.

More from The Field Report

Trent Is 90% Done With Corn, 100% With Beans

November 1, 2017|

Trent rated his corn crop "better than expected. Not a bumper crop and not below average." Trent had completed his soybean harvest several weeks ago. His corn harvest was delayed due to frequent rains making field conditions too muddy.

Beans Nearly Done, Corn Next – September 2017

October 4, 2017|

Trent Brandenburg is about two days' field work away from finishing his soybean harvest. He decided to harvest his soybean crop before starting on his corn harvest. Two weeks ago the moisture content of his corn was 36%, way too high to store.

Harvest Begins September 10, 2017

August 28, 2017|

Trent Brandenburg expects to begin picking corn on September 10, depending on the weather. Recent rains have helped his soybean pod fill, "but we could use some more," he added hopefully, but then admitting that the next rain might be too late, as the pods are "beginning to turn."

“It’s Looking Pretty Good”

July 31, 2017|

Trent Brandenburg is pleased with his corn and soybean crops' recovery from a challenging start to the crop year. "You can't see the holes," he observed, referring to how the crops have developed enough to mask some smaller ponded areas.

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