Franklin

Kingston

Genoa

Weekly - 1.80
Cumulative - 4.85

Franklin - Paul Taylor - The week ending May 10th, the infamous yield loss for corn not planted begins date, ended with 1.8 inches of rainfall. Tuesday brought 3/10ths, and Saturday night brought the forecasted, but not necessarily welcome, 1.5". It rained more after I checked the gauge Sunday morning, but that will be seed for the coming week's report.
Corn planting got off to a slow start this past week. My machinery partners were able to get started to plant farther south and east, so the planter and crew went off to the DeKalb area early this past week. Mid-week rain slowed progress for a day or so, and then we had a good run until Saturday night. They are done with corn; I'm about 60% finished. Wet spots still were evident Saturday, but I believe waiting to begin was a good tactic. Now if the other 40% doesn't get planted until June, I'll be pretty upset I didn't slam it into damper soils sooner to finish.
I'm surprised that I'm not seeing many winter wheat fields that are turning brown from a recent glyphosate treatment. Flying around the neighborhood April 29th, I saw very few wheat fields that I would call a "good stand". (They all look pretty good from the road now.) I'm willing to speculate that many of the folks that haven't raised wheat in years, and did plant some last fall, will be disappointed with the yields associated with the crummy stands come combine time. Perhaps they will not raise wheat again for another ten years. I understand the wheat is tillering very well, so I hope the yield is there for a profitable yield and I am totally wrong on this one. But with $6.50 corn futures for Dec. '08, and $6.00 July cash wheat, why leave a ratty stand of wheat that could potentially yield 60-70 bushels acre? (If they need straw, I have some in the barn.)
Have a great week. Perhaps I'll see you at Farm & Fleet on a rain delay.

Kingston - Russ Deverell - A fairly dry week for once, only .25 inches to report. Corn planting started Tuesday the 6th. rain Wednesday kept us out until Thursday pm and planters rolled again till Saturday evening. We are about 50% done on corn planting,. A weekend trip to Champaign showed about the same progress all the way down. Many planters rolling Saturday. Saw two fields where corn was up and rowable near Manook and LeRoy. Large planters can slip alot of seed in quickly, but as of Sunday's return trip there still were many fields undisturbed. Happy Mothers Day all and hope next week we close the book on corn planting for 2008!

Genoa - Ron Peabody - Very cool and a modest 0.25 inch of precipitation (Wednesday) for the week. Tillage and corn planting finally got into full swing this week. Soil temperatures remain cooler than normal for obvious reasons. Mother’s Day rain (to be reported next week), will slow field work the first part of the week.

South Grove

Mayfield

Sycamore

Weekly - 1.3
Cumulative - 3.35

South Grove- Otto Heisner - Rainfall for the week. 1.30 inches

Mayfield -

Sycamore - Larry Thomas - The weather allowed 4 excellent planting days this week. Only rain of any accumulation was 0.30 inches on May 7th Wednesday.

Malta

DeKalb

Cortland

Weekly - 2.30
Cumulative - 4.30

Malta - Jim Quincer - This week I ended up with 2 and 3/10s inches. Sat night fields were just getting almost right. Things are just not going very good.

DeKalb - NIU Weather Station - Rainfall 5/07 - .30 Total .30

Cortland - Dave Yaeger - Rainfall 5/07 - ..40; Total .40. Had a little more heat but the rain is falling in intervals to close together to get much field work accomplished!

Milan

Afton

Pierce

Weekly - .57
Cumulative - 1.94

Milan - University of Illinois Reseach Farm - Lyle Paul - This was a fairly good work week. The rainfall on Wednesday was 0.57". Some farmers were able to get started again on Sunday and more on Monday and Tuesday. Again the end of the week, some were restarted on Thursday and more on Friday. Saturday was a good day, with no rain, but Sunday was another story. Our variety testing group has planted all of the corn variety trials around the state, with the local site being the last planted on Saturday. They have also finished planting the northern Illinois region of soybean variety trials. Our first planted corn, April 21 was emerging on Thursday and Friday.

Afton - Eric Lawler / Steve Glascock (Babson Farms) - 2.5" rain for the week. One event on Tuesday night- Wednesday .5', another 2.0" on 5/11. Approximately 4.5 days of fieldwork. Estimate 75-80% of corn planted in the area. Hope everyone could take some time to enjoy Mother's Day.

Pierce -

Shabbona

Clinton

Squaw Grove

Weekly - 2.54
Cumulative - 4.19

Shabbona -Mullins Farm - Rainfall - 2.54 for the week.

Clinton - Wesley Anderson - Rainfall: 2.2 inches for the week

Squaw Grove - Leroy Cowan - We had 3 tenths the middle of the week. Much corn was planted. Some ground was not perfect, but was planted anyway. Most of the NH3 was applied. We are in for another bout of rain and colder weather.Some corn is up, but looks yellow.We need some heat.

Paw Paw

Victor

Somonauk

Weekly -
Cumulative -

Victor - Roy & Lester Plote - Rain L- 2.6 R- 2.35

Hope everyone had a relaxing Mother's Day. This was a week of great weather uncertainty. We squeezed out more acres than expected, but still hit the water wall again Sunday. We are just 58% complete with corn planting, and I must add for the first time. We have water standing on every field planted as of 7 pm Sunday night. Fieldwork will be stopped for a good five days, and that is without any more rain.

A couple neighbors went right to bean planting on Saturday when they finished corn. Only six fields in the local neighborhood that are spiking to almost 1st leaf. Heard some are assessing corn replanting due to poor emergence from the cold and wet conditions in northwestern IL and IA. All decisions may change again after this wet spell.

Take some time to assess your marketing plan. Try to be as flexible in time and price as you can. This is most readily accomplished with options. The glass price ceiling is yet to be hit, and the supply is by no means guaranteed in the fields. But, negative ethanol talk seems to weigh on our emotions.
Get ready for the next window of opportunity, in the field and markets.

Somonauk - Chris Frieders - Crop Report for the week of May 4th through the 10th.
Well, it was a pretty good week for planting and field work. There was a lot of planting going on early in the week with many people working late until the night on Tuesday trying to get as much planted before the rains came on Wed. We had a half an inch of rain on Wed. and kept us out of the fields until Friday morning, but there were a couple stirring around late Thursday afternoon. Field work was hit hard on Friday and Saturday with as much being planted as possible. However Saturday night saw just over 2 inches of rain come down so we will be out of the fields for some time now with more rain forcast for Wednesday of this week. May need a boat to get everything planted.

Sandwich

Weekly -
Cumulative -