The USDA comes out with these yield forecasts for the nation in regards to how much commodities the U.S will produce. They usually make the commodity markets somersault. Iowa’s yield forecast is in red, and surprisingly we are the nations largest producer of corn and soybeans. So the next time you take a bite of steak, a spoonful of cereal, a chicken leg, or some stirfry made with corn or vegetable oil, think of us farmers in Iowa!
While harvesting a corn on corn field, meaning that we planted corn on the same field two years in a row, I took a picture of the combine monitor. If you look at the upper left hand corner, it shows the average yield of that field and the average moisture level. This year, as last year, we are harvesting corn out of the field that is dry enough to go right into storage without having to dry it, which is an added expense. The favorable percentage is 14-16%, and as you see we are right in there. Also, our yield for that field averaged 190 bushels per acre! This corn on corn field has more bushels per acre than one of our corn after soybean fields. The combine monitor records data as we combine, noting where yields are greater than others, moisture levels in different areas of each field among other data. It is helpful information when making management decisions for the next year’s crop.
