I walked outside this morning and felt a coolness that hasn?t existed for months. I witnessed rainfall this weekend that fell for longer than the ?snippets? of showers we?ve seen during this drought. It felt good. It gave me hope that the harvest is not lost and the weather may be more tolerable for man and beast.
Not everyone is enjoying this change. My home farm in Oklahoma baked in 113-degree heat last week, and someone lit a newspaper and threw it out on the highway just a mile west of our land. The wind was strong out of the south and the fire jumped Interstate 44 and zoomed into my home town, burning several houses. What contempt some must have for our fellow man! We didn?t put any cattle on the farm this year due to the drought there in 2011. The grass recovered but now stands tall and tinder dry just waiting for lightning, carelessness or a pyromaniac to drive by.
This week we receive the official USDA estimate of the corn and soybean crop. Good luck on predicting the soybean yield after a rain in early August. The certified crop advisors, whom I interact with, are in agreement that the corn crop is badly damaged; most are saying at least a 40% drop from normal yields. Many questions arise on maturity, quality and crop insurance claims. We are going to bring together the best experts possible for an industry meeting on August 16. The goal is to see what plant pathologists and grain quality specialists believe we will face this fall. Aflatoxin is kicked around as a certainty. Is it? Will this grain store well, and what is its feed value? In the afternoon session, we will hear from the USDA Risk Management Agency and the Crop Insurance Industry. The losses will likely be a record but will the adjustors handle the claims efficiently and when will the money come to growers?
Our videographer, Nathan Matta, is on vacation this week so the rookies and the old man are going to see if we can pull things together.
Finally, the Iowa State Fair starts on Thursday. I hope it is cooler than July. Chet Hollingshead will announce the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-In on Friday morning. The size of the produce may be a good marker as to the severity of the drought this summer.
Drive with your windows down for as long as this cool air is with us. Remember, the seasons change and life moves ahead. It is the journey that keeps things interesting!
