There's no place like home

 150 is the new 250
 I drove 500 miles through Illinois and saw very few good fields.  There was a stretch that looked good along the river south of Carthage and another east of Henry.  Many fields are beyond any help of rain.  Reports of 20 bushel per acre corn is prevalent and insurance claims are being filed now.  It seems that this year 150 bushels per acre is the new 250.  When we started the year we hoped that our best fields would go 250 bu/acre now anyone getting 150 bu/acre ought to be dancing with joy as few farm fields will surpass that.  The trip was worthwhile as I can feel better about the condition for my corn.  Samples show I should be between 130 and 140.  Samples will be more accurate in 3 weeks as kernels are just developing now.
   I have two neighbors one drove through Wisconsin and the other through Indiana.  Their observations are the same, burnt up corn.  We all agree however that the corn around Earlville Il. looks as good or better than      
anything around.
  What luck, that is where our harvest celebration is this year.  You will be able to join us for the combine rides weather permitting.  October 13th 2012 (more information will follow)
   I do thank God for the knowledge he has given us.  Without that knowledge and learning from past adversity we would be much worse today.  Modern hybrids have been genetically improved to withstand some drought.  They have also been improved to resist insect feeding and that conserves the health of the roots and plant, which helps conserve water and allow for more roots per plant to sustain it.  We also have herbicides that kill the weeds and not harm the crop which allows us to till the ground less.  Every tillage pass looses more moisture.  Although there are limits to what stresses corn can overcome as we are experiencing this year with higher temperatures and less rain, it is still going to provide on some acres.  I do thank God for what we are provided with and pray for the farmers that are now going through the worse drought since the Dust Bowl years.
                                                                                             Serving together, Dean Lundeen