Harvest 2018 is well underway with some farmers very close to completion. Jacob Baker, Chair of the Young Leaders with the Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau, has a harvest update:
“For corn yields are kind of inconsistent as to what they were last year, depending on the different hybrids. On good soil we are seeing yields compared to last year. On hillsides yields are lower compared to last year due to the dry spells in the area. Test weights are comparable to last year as well. Stock quality is compared to mid-November and is starting to deteriorate. Soybean yields have been good this year, probably the best we have had,” shares Baker.
As long as rain remains out of the forecast, farmers will be able to apply ammonia and tillage to have their fields prepared for the spring season.
The Illinois Ag in the Classroom program is a great way to be able to show students the role of agriculture in their lives. Anna Damos, the Ag in the Classroom Coordinator with the Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau, shares more about some of the programs offered for classrooms:
“Field corn is not usually exciting for kindergartners, but if we talk about eating sweet corn in the summer and popcorn. It’s usually more exciting to talk about the different corn they eat. Then we have pumpkin day, since Illinois is the pumpkin capital of the world. We talk about plant life cycles depending on the age group,” Damos states.
This program is made possible through a state grant process and then matched through local fundraising.
To hear the full interview, listen to the link below:
