La Salle County crop and rainfall report: Corn is shooting high in summer’s 1st report

The summer crop and rainfall report, which features crop condition and rainfall updates from La Salle County farmers, is published regularly during the growing season.

This is the first report of the summer.

The following report covers June 3 through June 9 and is provided with assistance from the La Salle County Farm Bureau.

David Hall, Serena: Here we are for another year reporting on crop progress in La Salle County. Thank you to Shaw Media for publishing these, and I hope everyone enjoys reading them. I farm with my dad and brother on our 167-year-old family ground north of Ottawa. We raise corn, soybeans and a crop of children who want to farm when they grow up. Several in the area got to planting in mid-April, but rains in late April put a damper on progress until mid-May. As of now in our area, 99% of both corn and soybeans are planted and emerged. The tallest April corn is about two foot tall, while the latest soybeans emerged a week or two ago. Most all of the corn has received a post-emergence herbicide pass and side-dress nitrogen pass. We received 1 inch of rain for the reporting week from a single storm event. Local activities included first cutting of hay, mowing ditches, spraying herbicide, applying nitrogen and cleaning up spring equipment. Have a safe week!

Ken Beck, Mendota: Well it’s a tale of two springs up here in the northwestern La Salle County. It was early spring, and it was later spring with rain in between and some interesting weather. Now we are looking for rain up here as we missed most of the large rains, good rains that came through. We are not critical, everything looks good. The grass is showing that it doesn’t need mowing this week. Corn spraying is pretty much done, and bean spraying is starting to begin on the early beans. We received .1″ of rain last week.

David Myer, Marseilles: 2024 is definitely going to be a strange year as we experienced above normal temps for many months. Rainfall totaled 1.8 inches last week and our subsoils have a good recharge much better than last year. Corn is in all stages from 2 feet tall to almost waist high so it’s going to be interesting to see which planting date was ideal at harvest. Soybeans have a similar story. Most first cutting hay is baled and good yields. Wheat harvest is about three weeks away as it’s ahead of normal. Grain prices are much less than a year ago. I’m still operating out of Rutland Township and work in a couple of adjourning townships.

Bill Gray, Tonica/Lostant: Hi, our farm operation is located in the southwest part of La Salle County near Tonica. I raise corn and soybeans with help from my wife Tina and my sons. I’ve been a member of the Tonica Volunteer Fire Department for 35 years and an EMT for 29 years. Last week I received 1.3 inches of rain. It’s been another interesting spring this year to say the least. It warmed up early and a few fields of corn and soybeans were planted. We then saw some rain that kept us from planting for a couple weeks. Most corn planting was finished up around the 20th of May. The corn in my area is up and looks pretty good. Corn is anywhere from over knee high to 4 feet tall. Many fields of corn are having post-emerge herbicide applied and some have had side dress anhydrous ammonia applied. Soybeans were planted at different times this spring and the amount of growth varies from 8 feet tall to just now emerging. Some fields of soybeans are also having herbicide applied. Some fields of hay are being cut and baled in the area and sure smell good. I’ve finally had a chance to get some of my garden planted and it appears that I will have to put a fence up around it as the rabbit population has exploded. I’ve gotten several pictures of does on my trail cameras with fawns so be careful driving near or mowing tall grass. Congratulations to all the recent graduates! Have a good week and be safe!

Ken Bernard, Grand Ridge: Welcome to the 2024 Crop Watchers growing season. Wish I could remember how many years I have been doing this, but it escapes me now. I am farming in the Grand Ridge area with my son on our family farm. We grow corn, soybeans, and some hay for our small purebred hereford cow herd. What a year it has been so far. The beginning of March was dry and warm so we were in the field working ground. Then it started changing in April and became cold and wetter. We got some corn and beans planted the end of April around April 22 to April 25. Then the rains started, and I think we had about two to three weeks where we did not turn a wheel. Finally got back in the field and finished the end of May, the Saturday before Memorial Day. Had to replant some drowned out spots in both corn and bean fields but for the most part things are looking pretty good. Weeds are also growing good and are getting harder to kill. Corn spraying is just about done and starting on beans now. We are doing some side dressing of nitrogen on the corn before it gets too tall. First cutting of hay is baled and for the most part has been more than last year’s first cutting. So, we are off to a pretty good start but a long way to go before the combines are in the field. A lot of things can affect yield from here on out. We will just have to see what the summer brings us. We received 1.1 inches of rain last week. Glad to be back for another year of Crop Watchers! Have a safe week.

Geoffrey Janssen, Rutland: Hi my name is Geoffrey Janssen, I live and farm in this very southern tip of La Salle County. My operation primarily involves the production of corn and soybeans in La Salle and several surrounding counties. I am assisted by my wife and son and a few seasonal employees. Spring planting had its challenges with an overabundance of rainfall, all crops are planted and look good at this time. I have received right at 2 inches of rain in the past week.

Rainfall (in inches):

David Hall 1

Ken Beck 0.1

David Myer 1.8

Bill Gray 1.3

Ken Bernard 1.1

Geoffrey Janssen 2