July has arrived, and with it an increased frustration level about the weather.  As the calendar marches on, it intensifies the pressure to complete planting of double-crop soybeans, and the application of nitrogen to the last-planted corn field.  Ross and I took a drive around to the fields this morning to evaluate the possibilities of actually doing some productive work!  The conditions were disappointing; the soil was much too wet to plant soybeans or to apply nitrogen.  (In fact, there was some rain during last night).   So, we chose some alternate work, Ross is sending Brandon out with one of the trucks to deliver wheat to ADM in Newburgh, Indiana.  I have hitched up the bush-hog to the 7130 tractor, and I’m spending the afternoon mowing on the CRP filter strips.  I appreciate the ‘mowed’ appearance so much more than the ‘before’ look. 

We will continue to monitor the progress of the drying of the fields, and move into the planting and fertilizing modes as soon as possible.  Knowing us, though, we will probably commence those activities just a little before it gets to be ‘just right’ conditions, because of our sense of urgency.  The urgency comes from knowing that potential yield is reduced every day of planting delay, and for the corn, it continues to grow, and can get too tall to use our application machine.  Come on, sunshine!

-Dennis