Saturday, October 25, 2025
There is a slight drizzle of rain off and on in the air this morning. Even so, I took down our weathered and tattered flag today and replaced it with a bright new one.
New flag on a cloudy, drizzly morning
The good thing this cloudy morning is that all the corn and soybean and DCB harvest is now finished! We wrapped up harvest operations in yesterday’s sunny and breezy conditions about 4pm. We cut the remaining soybeans that had been replanted at the Cox field in a 14-acre spot that had drowned out in some of the spring and early-summer excessive rains.
The last view of the harvest of 2025. Some replanted soybeans on the Cox field
We are grateful for the results: best average corn yield ever, soybeans and DCB were not exceptional but met expectations, and looking back to June… we had our best average wheat yield. 2025 will go down as a good year, agronomically speaking. Commodity prices? That’s another matter. But the improved yields will help the cause.
John took an hour or so Friday evening and went down to the just-harvested Cox field and ran the VT over the late-planted and late-harvested portion of that field. With that, perhaps the crop residue will stay put when we get the inevitable flooding on that part of the field this winter. He used the JD 9R540 tractor and the JD 2660VT vertical tillage tool.
John said it worked the area very well and looked ‘nice’ after.
Larry is back today, planting some wheat in little strips in 3 fields where the stand was not ideal. This task, though late, will make a difference in yield next June. He is using the JD 6145R tractor and the old JD 1560 drill. When Larry finishes that, he will go use the VT at the Crook farm. We got done just in the nick of time, for Larry goes on a vacation trip next week!
Larry is filling in some bare spots in the wheat field this morning.
There are several tasks remaining through the rest of the month and into November. There some grain contracts yet to be delivered. The fall application of next year’s P&K fertility is almost done; Nutrien is working on it. This fall’s DCB fields will need the VT tool ran across them. But the biggest job will be the clean-up of the machines. The combines got very, very dirty this fall–especially when harvesting corn. You can’t really tell they are green… they are covered in a thick black dust. They will first be ‘air cleaned’ with compressed air, then washed and scrubbed and rinsed clean. When the guys get finished washing, the machines will shine like new!
First up is the JD 9520R tractor and Demco 1322 grain cart. They get compressed air first, then a good wash. Brandon D is working to start the process.
First up to get washed is the Gator.
Brandon D did get the grain cart cleaned today. Tractor to follow next week.
As we look back on the 2025 crops, with the rainy delays to spring and summer, it is amazing how we got the results we did. Even with some drowned-out spots in the corn fields, the other areas produced very well, resulting in our farm’s record average yield. So, we acknowledge that our results were a product of the blessing of God. We can do all we can to produce our crops, but without the providence of our Maker, we don’t have any success. We thank Him for how he takes care of us.
We are looking ahead to the Thanksgiving season. It is probably my favorite holiday. We have many reasons to be thankful. The old hymn “Count Your Blessings” comes to mind. Is everything in our lives working out to perfection? No, not even close. But we are encouraged to find ways to be thankful. 1Thess 5:18. We should remember that the things that really matter forever are still A-OK.
Have a wonderful weekend.
