Northern crop progress trails the nation

Northeast crop progress: Wet soils continued to hamper corn and soybean planting across the northern Corn Belt last week.

John Vogel, Editor, American Agriculturist

June 12, 2017

1 Min Read

WISHFUL PROGRESS: Many northern Corn Belt growers can only wish for corn this tall at this time.

According to USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service data for last week, the U.S. corn crop was 96% in the ground. That’s for the 18 key corn states.

That data, though, doesn’t fully reflect corn or soybean plantings, particularly in the Northern Corn Belt states and Northeast. Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan were far below that national average. In Pennsylvania, only 82% of the 2017 corn crop was in the ground.

Data for smaller corn and soybean producing states in the Northeast wasn’t available for USDA’s June 5 crop progress report. But for the week of May 29, corn and soybean planting in New York still lagged far behind. Only 39% of its corn crop was planted, compared to 75% in 2016 and the five-year average of 72%. Only 16% of intended soybean acreage was planted, compared to 48% in 2016 and the five-year average of 43%.

That, according to industry sources, may pressure dairy farmers to switch to shorter-maturity corn hybrids. A lot of corn — assuming it’s planted — will be harvested late as silage.

My ‘windshield’ survey
Last week, a family business/vacation trip took me across Pennsylvania, Ohio, up the middle of Michigan to Minnesota. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, many planters were running, still trying to catch up on corn and soybean planting. Farther north, the combination of continuing frequent rains and cool weather kept many fields unplanted. That weather pattern continued all the way into western New York and northern Pennsylvania.

About the Author(s)

John Vogel

Editor, American Agriculturist

For more than 38 years, John Vogel has been a Farm Progress editor writing for farmers from the Dakota prairies to the Eastern shores. Since 1985, he's been the editor of American Agriculturist – successor of three other Northeast magazines.

Raised on a grain and beef farm, he double-majored in Animal Science and Ag Journalism at Iowa State. His passion for helping farmers and farm management skills led to his family farm's first 209-bushel corn yield average in 1989.

John's personal and professional missions are an integral part of American Agriculturist's mission: To anticipate and explore tomorrow's farming needs and encourage positive change to keep family, profit and pride in farming.

John co-founded Pennsylvania Farm Link, a non-profit dedicated to helping young farmers start farming. It was responsible for creating three innovative state-supported low-interest loan programs and two "Farms for the Future" conferences.

His publications have received countless awards, including the 2000 Folio "Gold Award" for editorial excellence, the 2001 and 2008 National Association of Ag Journalists' Mackiewicz Award, several American Agricultural Editors' "Oscars" plus many ag media awards from the New York State Agricultural Society.

Vogel is a three-time winner of the Northeast Farm Communicators' Farm Communicator of the Year award. He's a National 4-H Foundation Distinguished Alumni and an honorary member of Alpha Zeta, and board member of Christian Farmers Outreach.

See more from John Vogel

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About the Author(s)

Boone, IA

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