The hot, dry weather last week in most of the major growing areas of the country caused crop ratings to fall again. According to this week’s U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress report, the corn crop is rated 65 percent good to excellent—down 3 points from a week ago. The best-looking corn is in Nebraska, where the corn is rated 83 percent good to excellent, with Indiana’s corn at 70% percent good to excellent; Illinois is at 64 percent and Iowa down to 56 percent. The condition of the soybeans fell 2 percent last week to 60 percent good to excellent. As with the corn, Nebraska has the best-looking beans at 83 percent good to excellent while Iowa’s beans are at 57 percent, Illinois is at 66 percent with Minnesota at 51 percent good to excellent.
The condition of Wisconsin’s corn crop fell two points last week to 69 percent good to excellent with 24 percent of the crop being called fair. The soybean condition is down three points from a week ago, as it’s rated 62 percent good to excellent and 29% fair. The oat crop is rated 74 percent good to excellent with 69% of the crop headed—about a week ahead of normal. The potato crop across the state is in the best condition of all crops, as it’s rated 87 percent good to excellent in this week’s report. State farmers also are in good shape with their haymaking. as 97 percent of the first crop is off and 11 percent of second crop has also been made. And while soil moisture should be better in next week’s report with our recent rains, it’s still low with a rating of 47 percent adequate to surplus, 34 percent short and 19 percent very short. Central and North central parts of the state are the driest.
Another major national farm show will return in 2022. World Ag Expo at Tulare, California, will Feb. 8-10 at the Agri Center show grounds. Last February, the show ran on a digital format but show leaders say 2022 will be live with about 70% of exhibit space already reserved. The show is a major economic driver for the Central valley in California as it generates more than $52 million for the local economy.
There is a new national record holder for lifetime milk production, and she’s a Wisconsin cow. After finishing her 12th lactation, Stone-Front Hilda from Stone-Front Farm in the Lancaster area, has produced 460,720 pounds of milk. That’s 2,000 pounds more than the previous record holder, Koepke, also a Wisconsin cow.
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