Christmas Decorations on Silos

Christmas lights on an old iron wagon wheel

Here is a video I made featuring some great Christmas lights on top of silos:

John Deere 7720 Titan II Combining Soybeans

I took some photos of my dad and brothers combining soybeans.  My older brother unloaded the wagons into the grainery and my younger brother was riding in the combine with my dad.  The beans farther away from the grainery are double-crop soybeans that were planted after wheat.

Check out this video of my dad and brothers combining soybeans:

Decay, Decay

Baling Hay in Will County

Photos and Videos of Baling Hay in Will County:

Baling Hay 

Baling hay in a waterway

Baling Hay

American Gothic Gourds at Will County Fair

For people who attend the Will County Fair every year, the Fair can seem like one experience that never changes.  I love walking through the exhibition hall and seeing the familiar and beautiful displays of fruits and vegetables lovingly grown and displayed by local gardeners.  Last year, however, this entry for the "Gourd Dressed as a Farm Wife" class caught my eye and made me realize there is always something new to discover at the fair!

Gourds placed in a diorama replicating "American Gothic" 

CORN Yields, Harvest, Drought of 2012

How are corn yields looking now that we are heading into harvest?

Here is one picture of the drought of 2012:

Ears of corn from various fields around Manhattan, Illinois

The ears are much smaller than last year and are not fully pollinated.  My dad had previously hoped for 80 bushels per acre and now says he's hoping to get at least 65 bushels per acre.  My dad usually underestimates a little so as to be pleasantly surprised so I would say we'll most likely get about 75 bushels per acre.  Since corn planting was completed early this year, we are planning to start corn harvest mid-September.

Drought 2012 and Hay Production

As the drought of 2012 continues, farmers are trying to harvest as much grass hay as possible from pastures.

Farmer cuts hay a little closer to the creek on August 2, 2012.  This farmer is trying to get some more round bales off this pasture in response to demand for round hay bales from local cow and horse owners.

Farmers who own feeder cattle are trying to decide whether to continue feeding out the cattle using 8 dollar corn or sell the cattle---risking a possible loss on the cattle---in order to be able to sell their corn on the market. 

Here in Will County, Illinois, my dad has learned from surveying our corn field that while the corn ears along the road do not look so terrible, once you go into the field about 4-6 rows, the corn ears become much smaller.  My dad hypothesizes that the corn along the road had the benefit of better air circulation during the sweltering heat of July.  My dad is hoping to get 80 bushels per acre corn.