OGLE COUNTY — Following above-average rainfall levels in Ogle County and mild temperatures this summer, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said July 25 that crops in the area are looking “exceptionally well.”

Ogle County farmers have battled drought conditions and have been behind on rain in recent years. Kern said that is no longer the case and Ogle County is not on any drought monitor map as it was at the beginning of the year.

“I can't remember every year dating way back like some farmers can, but I don't remember the last year like this,” Kern said. “Four or five years ago we got a lot of rain in the spring and we couldn't even plant some acres. We're definitely above normal for rain for the year and for the months of June and July. The rain has been great. The corn is tasseling and starting to shoot ears. It needs moisture so the energy in the plant can go to the ear. Beans are probably starting to set pods. It was a great rain.”

Rain has come with storms and wind, but Kern said storm damage to crops in the area has been limited.

“Surprisingly I've only heard of some pockets of storm damage here and there,” Kern said. “It's nothing I'd call major. There may be somebody out there with 20-30 acres that was damaged, but everything else around it is fine. I haven't had anyone tell me that there's been widespread damage. And most of it would be corn and then it depends if it was broken or just blown over to where it could pop back up. I know in the Rockford area there was some damage, but the corn didn't snap and it's starting to straighten itself back out. I'd say we dodged a bullet.”

Despite crops coming along well this early in the year, Kern said doesn’t expect an early harvest and that it depends on when crops were planted and what Fall weather conditions are.

Outside of the fields, farmers are currently seeing “exceptionally low” commodity prices and a trade outlook that “isn’t necessarily good,” Kern said. The OCFB manager would like to see more efforts from the government on new trade agreements and allocating funds towards new research to develop new domestic crop uses such as sustainable aviation fuel, a recently talked-about new venture. 

“We have the crop here,” Kern said. “We just need more help in being able to trade that crop and find new uses for that crop. A couple decades ago when we got the ethanol market developed it was a huge boon to agriculture. We need to get back to that line of thinking again.”

Work is currently ongoing on a new federal farm bill, which takes place every five years. Kern hopes to see langage in it that allocates funds towards new research projects. He guessed that the current farm bill will be extended a year with a new one coming next year. One-year extensions are typical, Kern said.

“And hopefully the winner of the presidential election in November will seriously want to address expanding trade agreements with other countries to try to help up market our crop,” Kern said. 

Input prices for farmers have remained high, and those impacts are being seen currently with farmers applying fungicide to fields. Kern said Ogle County farmers could save money on inputs amid high prices during harvest this fall if they don’t have to spend money on gas to dry crops.

Kern’s hope for the coming months is that recently-common August storms stay away and that come harvest, the crop turns out “really good”, as it looks now. 

“I think this corn crop is set,” Kern said, “The beans will probably need another shower or two in August to fill those pods out all the way. After that we get into September where the crop will start turning. We'll need some nice, sunny, relatively-warm days with some nice breeze to dry the crop down to get out there and get it into the bin during harvest.”