As Vermilion County farmers head out of July and into August, the corn is tall and the soybeans are a deep green. But for the latter, August is the big month. Tom Fricke of the Vermilion County Farm Bureau says August is very important for soybean development heading into the harvest. You want the beans to cook, but not overcook.
AUDIO: It just depends on how much heat we have here in August. That’s when the soybeans will set their beans into pods with the blooms. So we don’t want it to be too hot or dry during that time period, because it can affect the soybean settings.
The hope for all farmers during the growing season is consistent, significant rain; but not all at once. Fricke says that for the most part, Mother Nature seems to have delivered this year.
AUDIO: We just need to keep going, at least through the first half of August, to make sure we get the soybeans filled good. We need to have the corn filled out good. And then, as we gradually get toward the end of August, it can start drying down, to help the crops mature and move into harvest.
Vermilion County Farm Bureau members are invited to the Wednesday, August 14 Market Outlook Meeting, 9 AM in the Farm Bureau building at 1905 Route 150 West in Danville.
