How are your crops faring this year? What are your hopes for yields? We’re asking growers about what’s really happening in their fields. Click the Feedback From The Field reporting form and give us your first-hand account on conditions and yields.

Use the interactive map below to see all this year’s reports just by clicking the flagged locations. Click the box in the upper left-land corner of the map to bring up an index of what the different colors of the markers signify and to toggle the week’s reports on and off.

Many growers suffered through a growing season that was anything but a fairy tale this year. But as harvest slowly advances farmers reporting Feedback From The Field last week described conditions right out of Goldilocks: Too dry and too wet for many, but for some just about right.

Estimates of corn yields continue to increase as more results come in, with the average last week for the first time topping USDA’s Sept. 12 estimate. But the verdict on soybeans fell and ratings for both crops overall was lower. While the percentage of corn rated good or excellent increased, so did the amount for poor and very poor, reflecting yields that ranged from nearly nothing to 220 bushels per acre due to wildly variable conditions.

A flash drought that scorched the Southeast extended hot, dry weather into parts of the eastern Midwest, bringing a disappointing end to what was already a challenging year.

“Soybeans have burned up from no rain for 7 weeks,” said a Georgia grower putting yields at just 15 bushels an acre.

“Ninety-eight degrees for months on end, since early May,” added a farmer in South Carolina. “Torched nonirrigated corn, torched the cotton and finally torched the soybeans.”

Lack of rain was also an issue further north. A grower south of Indianapolis rated corn fair and soybeans poor.

“Late planted corn hurt yields along with a dry July, August and September,” was the report. “Dry August and September hurt pod fill in beans.”

On the other side of the I-70 corridor moisture was also the issue – way too much of it.

“Late planting, too much rain, most beans replanted and damaged because of more rains,” was the post from southwest Illinois. “Harvest is slow to start, dry down is extremely slow and more rains forecasted. Worse year ever!”

“Too much rain,” added another from northern Illinois.  “Seven inches in last week. WET.”

Much above normal precipitation extended into the Dakotas, where killing frost is a threat later this week. Further south in the western Corn Belt yields look better but wet conditions were also slowing down harvest too.

“Got a half day of bean combining before a week of rain,” said a farmer from western Iowa. “Over 12 inches in the last 30 gays. Beans are very good if we can harvest.”

Follow along with the season by clicking these links:

Feedback From The Field - Sept. 30, 2019 - Rain returns as a worry for growers

Feedback From The Field - Sept. 23, 2019 - Farmers report boom or bust yields after challenging year

Feedback from the Field - Sept. 16, 2019 - Adverse weather pushes down yield estimates

Feedback from the Field - Sept. 9, 2019 - Crops improve despite slow development and stress

Feedback from the Field - Sept. 3, 2019 - Crops improve despite slow development and stress

Feedback from the Field - Aug. 19, 2019 - Crops improve but yields lag

Feedback from the Field - Aug. 12, 2019 - Yields are here, there and everywhere 

Feedback From The Field - Aug. 5, 2019 - Farmers worry that yields aren’t there

Feedback from the Field - July 29, 2019 - Crops improve after heat breaks

Feedback from the Field - July 22, 2019 - Blazing heat wilts crops

Feedback from the Field - July 15, 2019 - Hot, dry week stresses soybeans

Feedback from the Field - July 8, 2019 - Crops improve but development lags on late planting

Feedback From The Field - July 1, 2019 - Crops improve but development lags on late planting

Feedback From The Field - June 24, 2019 - Planting woes aren’t only worry for growers

Feedback From The Field - June 17, 2019 - Acres lost to corn prevent plant mount

Feedback from the Field - June 10, 2019 - Judgement time: Take prevent plant or keep going?

Feedback from the Field - June 3, 2019 - Corn planting deadlines pass as farmers ponder what to do

Feedback from the Field - May 28, 2019 - Growers make progress, but at what cost?

Feedback from the Field - May 20, 2019 - Warm, dry week gets growers in the field as crucial benchmarks arrive

Feedback from the Field - May 13, 2019 - Wet is the word for 2019.

Feedback From the Field - May 6, 2019 - Some farmers in western areas make progress but overall planting remains slow.

Feedback From the Field - April 29, 2019 - Farmers in eastern Corn Belt and upper Midwest face delays.

Feedback From the Field - April 22, 2019 - A few wheels turned but most of the Corn Belt is too wet.