We took a little drive the other day — in this case the definition of little being from our farm in Wisconsin’s northern Driftless Area to east-central Florida.
Those who regularly make such a drive, complete with the return trip, know how most of the rural countryside between our farm and St. Petersburg, Florida is suited mostly for those who are interested in how the crops are doing. Without such an interest, mundane might define the drive through a third of Wisconsin, the full length of Illinois, and then through a piece of Kentucky and on to Tennessee and Georgia before seeing a couple-hundred miles of Florida.
We’re happy to report that the crops we saw along the way seem to be faring much better than they did during 2019, though some of the corn in central Illinois seems to be a little behind its normal pace — wet spots and some replanting apparent in that stretch of Illinois.
The best corn was seen in western Kentucky, its early June stretch being in the vicinity of knee-high.
Forage choppers and balers were going full-tilt on the hay fields seen everywhere along the drive, including right here in our Wisconsin home. And the animals seen in pastures along the way seemed quite content, with the dairy and beef cattle and sheep lounging on the green carpets provided by what’s so far been a comfortable spring.
It’s good to be back on the familiar soil of our place in Trempealeau County. But, as always, it’s also occasionally good to get to see how things are getting done in other parts of the countryside.
— Scott Schultz
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