From the Fields: Starting to turn

A month ago we needed a little rain. We got some, but we’re back to it being dry. In my area, I saw the first field where the soybeans have a yellow tinge, where they’re starting to turn. They probably wouldn’t be if we had received rain in the last week. August rains are important for soybeans to get yield put on. We just haven’t had that here. That’s been disappointing.

Beef prices are record high. That’s all in context, because our feed and input costs are record high, as well. But it’s fortunate that the commodity price has gone up alongside the expenses. That helps a little bit.

Livestock has done pretty well. We’ve had some heat. During the hottest part of the summer, the hogs did not gain much. But I’m noticing now, with the cool nights, they’re really taking off and their feed consumption is noticeably higher. It looks like they’re doing well.

The markets are holding. A lot of times markets will go down following Labor Day. We’ll see whether that holds true or not.