The USDA estimated corn crop conditions in the U.S. as of July 12, at 69% — considered “excellent” or “good.” 

 

That report remained unchanged from the previous week, but is a seven percent decrease from last year. Twenty-two percent of the crop was reported as “fair,” a one percent decrease from last week, but a three percent increase from last year. Nine percent was rated as “poor” or “very poor”, a one percent increase from last week.

 

Local farmer, Frank Kasowski or K&O Farms, said his crop of corn is “so-so”, referring to the fact the weather hasn’t been ideal for the leafy stalks.

 

“The corn tends to like hot and humid weather,” he said.

 

Kasowski says the growing season has been “fairly decent” with temperatures during the day in the 70s and low 80s and at night, even better.

 

“This is one of the better potato seasons I’ve ever seen and it really helps when the temps are that nice during the days and in the 50s and 60s at night,” he said.

 

Kasowski farms around 400 acres of potatoes, 300 acres of edible beans, 200 acres of soybeans and 500 acres of feed corn.

 

“It’s been great so far in 2015,” he said. “Let’s hope it stays that good the rest of the way.”

 

Soybean emergence was reported at 96%, a three percent increase from the previous week, but four percent behind the five-year average. Excessive wetness in Illinois has caused the soybeans to struggle. Unlike corn that can still produce an above average crop during a wet year, soybeans do not grow well in wet conditions or as most farmers say, “Soybeans don’t like wet feet.”

 

The USDA estimated soybean crop conditions at 62%, which is considered “excellent” or “good,” a one percent decrease from last week, but a 10% decrease from last year. Twenty-seven percent of the crop was rated as “fair,” a one percent decrease from last week, while 11% of the crop was rated as “poor” or “very poor”, a two percent increase from last week.

 

Ninety percent of the potato crop is in either “good” or “excellent” condition. Yields for red and russet potatoes are down slightly from 2014 but white potatoes are 3.3% higher.

 

Brett Edling of Edling Farms in Clear Lake says so far the growing season of 2015 has been “really good”. The Edlings farm red, yellow-fleshed and russet potatoes on 400 acres.

 

“It’s been great growing weather and we’ve had kindly rains,” Brett said. “Every year is a challenge but so far it’s been pretty good.”

 

Because of the sandy soil in Sherburne County, irrigation becomes one of the biggest challenges the Edlings face on an annual basis.

 

“We don’t follow the almanac (Farmer’s) or listen too much to forecasters,” he said. “We just plan and expect to irrigate every few days whether it recently rained or not.”

 

The Edlings hope to harvest the reds the week of July 27 followed by the yellow-fleshed the next week and the russets by Labor Day.

 

Fifty-eight percent of the dry edible bean crop was blooming as of Monday. Seventy-nine percent of sugar beets in the state are rated “good” to “excellent”.