Fall Farm Produce
USE THIS HANDY FALL PRODUCE DIRECTORY FOR EVERYTHING AUTUMN!
Crops
Chopping Corn Silage
I’m confused. I always thought farmers harvested corn when the plant is tan-colored and mature. But I saw machines harvesting green plants of corn. Tell me more…
I’m confused. I always thought farmers harvested corn when the plant is tan-colored and mature. But I saw machines harvesting green plants of corn. ...
Little Rock Creek Watershed in the Works
New Watershed Plan Being Developed for the Sandwich Area
The City of Sandwich is currently leading a watershed-based planning effort on approximately 10,500 acres in the Little Rock Creek Watershed (see below). The watershed includes portions of DeKalb, Kendall and LaSalle counties.
The City of Sandwich applied for and was awarded a ...
Renewed Optimism in Farming
Farm economy sees strong turnaround for grain farms.
A couple months ago economists were predicting near-zero profits for Illinois farmers. Now the grain farm outlook appears to be much better while livestock farms continue to be financially stressed.
The University of Illinois and Purdue University findings and projections were reported in an ...
What if Farmers Did Not Use Pesticides?
Farmers use many tools to produce the food that ends up on our plates. Among them are crop protection products, also known as pesticides.
Crop protection helps control weeds, pests and diseases that starve food crops of the nutrients, sunlight and water needed to thrive.
Pesticide is a general term that covers ...
Ear Size Matters
The number of kernels per ear of corn is an important contributor to the grain yield potential of a corn plant. Ideal growing conditions and a hybrid’s genetics determine ear size and exceptional yields at harvest.
The number of kernel rows multiplied by the number of kernels per row equates to ...
Monarch Project Takes Flight
Farmers & Farm Bureau Promote Butterfly Conservation
One year after the Illinois Monarch Project Agriculture Action Plan was unveiled, Farm Bureau continues to highlight voluntary conservation efforts geared toward pollinators.
Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) recently submitted data to the Illinois Monarch Project (IMP) for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) ...
Harvest May Stretch Into December
Farmers are ready to wrap up this year’s harvest but some are still weeks away from being done.
DeKalb County harvest is running about a month behind schedule. The lateness is attributed to a wet spring – most corn and soybean fields didn’t get planted until June – then a wet ...
DeKalb County Ag by the Numbers – NOT Knee High
DeKalb County corn typically well exceeds the old saying that corn is “Knee-High by the 4th of July.” However, due to unprecedented rains and this year’s planting crisis, many corn fields are barren or behind in growth.
On average, DeKalb County corn is about 5 feet tall by the 4th of ...
Local Sweet Corn Behind Pace, But Ready Soon
Mark Yaeger knows that everyone is ready for their first taste of locally grown sweet corn in July but they will have to wait until August.
This year’s wet and cooler spring weather has delayed sweet corn production by about one month. In a “normal” year sweet corn is tasseling by ...