Crop Statistician: May not be too late to have a good 2019

Posted on July 23, 2019

*Corn has entered the dough stage, and 43 percent of corn is in good to excellent condition.(WJBC File Photo)*

By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – It may not be too late for Illinois farmers to have a good 2019.

“The cooler temperatures are welcomed,” says Brad Summa, director of the Heartland District of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. “I think the next few weeks will be critical for corn in particular because of the pollination — if you have cooler temperatures and some decent rainfall.”

Corn has entered the dough stage, and 43 percent of the crop is rated good to excellent. Soybeans are beginning to set pods and are rated 45 percent good to excellent. Both crops are well behind the progress of years past.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…