“We’re Passengers Along For The Ride”
Trent Brandenburg is very happy to look back on a crop year that was much better than expected. A long stretch of wet weather during planting time made Trent plant his soybeans before his corn because some cornfields were too wet to work. As the season progressed, a remarkable series of almost perfectly-spaced rains caused corn ear-fill and soybean pod-fill to exceed early-season predictions. Trent’s yields were very good, but not quite record-level.
Trent is now done with his harvest and fall tillage. “I’m just cleaning up equipment,” he reported. His problems are the weather and the low market prices. “Can’t do much about either one,” he said. “We’re just passengers along for the ride.”
More from The Field Report
From Drought To Ponding And Replanting
In barely months, Trent's challenges have gone from extreme drought to repeated ponding and replanting. Trent has replanted some corn and soybeans twice, only to have the ponding return yet again. "I don't think I will try to replant corn [...]
Corn And Soybean Planting Done, Some Germinated, More To Come
Trent Brandenburg is happy to have completed his corn and soybean planting by the 15th of May. "It's slow," he said, commenting on the germination delay by the recent cool temperatures. Moderately heavy rains the last few days have caused [...]
Worked Some Fields, With A Sunny Day Could Begin Planting
Trent Brandenburg has "worked a couple of fields, they're barely ready" after several days of rain last week. "If we get a sunny day tomorrow I could plant some," Trent continued. The long-standing extreme drought in central Illinois has been [...]