cornbelt tour

[arnfarm735]

Have had a chance to tour a lot of the corn belt last 12 days.  We made a trip July 21 - 24 from EC Nebr. to SE Ohio.  Went across southern Iowa on US 34 then down I 65 to I 70 then to Cambridge Ohio in SE Ohio.  So we made a narrow path basically clear across the corn belt.

The only really bad area was across most of southern Iowa, especially SE IA. --way too much water even now.  A lot of really late planted crops -- some corn not even tasseling yet.  Rest of trip east was pretty good looking crops.  Once we got east of Missouri river bottom only saw 2 pivots and they weren't running.  (of interest to this EC NE farmer).

Yesterday (July 31) we traveled from EC NE up I 29 to Fargo area.  NE NE has some of the best crops in years (at 65 mph anyway).  Ponds through S. Dak along I 29 about as full as I have ever seen for this time of year.  One place even had a dirt bank put up to keep water from running over our side of the interstate where they were replacing other lanes.  In my 20 some years of coming up to WC MN there has never been a trip that didn't have numerous 8 mile sections of I 29 tore up!  I think when they get it all rebuilt they will just start over.

Our area in EC Nebr (Platte River valley) has numerous drowned out spots from June rains.  Had to add N through pivots when we had no business putting on more water -- tried to only put on .5 inch.  Just now (july 30) started a few pivots for watering sake, but wasn't really desperate.  Just wanted to try out pivots  in case it doesn't rain while I am in MN. There has only been one year in my 36 yrs of farming that we haven't needed to irrigate at least some time during the summer.

Good luck and safe havesting this fall.