Fields are 95% Planted — Happiness Reigns

Published On: May 5, 2021

 

Good Timing on Spring Rains

Trent Brandenburg is happy to have 95% of his corn and soybean acreage planted. He’s is taking a day or two off right now as recent and predicted rains will make that remaining 5% too wet to plant for a few days. Trent sees good germination in his planted acres; “of course the ones we just planted two days ago are not up yet.” “This year is starting off good,” Trent summarized.

Most rains for the past month have been spaced well enough to help germination of seeds just planted, but not so often or so heavy to cause serious delays in fieldwork. The USDA’s latest planting estimates for Illinois this week are: Corn planted reached 54 percent, compared to the 5-year average of 49 percent. Soybeans planted reached 41 percent, compared to the 5-year average of 14 percent. For Trent to be 95% planted at the end of April is a great start for the new season.

More from The Field Report

Rain At Last!!

March 4, 2026|

Trent Brandenburg is very happy today. March is predicted to come in like a lion, with rain every day for the first week. Central Illinois has been in extreme drought conditions for months. The northern half of Piatt County and [...]

Wild And Windy Winter Weekend

December 30, 2025|

Trent Brandenburg and family endured a near miss yesterday as a tornado touched down a few miles from their home place. Tornadoes are a rare occurrence in December, but a "bomb cyclone" ripped through central Illinois yesterday. Houses were unroofed [...]

Dry Weather Speeds Harvest

October 28, 2025|

Trent Brandenburg is trying to get his field work done "before it rains". Much of the area Trent farms is in "extreme drought" according to the Illinois Drought Monitor https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?IL map, which is updated every Thursday. The very dry soil [...]