How are your crops faring this year? What are your early 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.

In a year that’s seen just about everything, the worries are far from over for growers. Those reporting Feedback From The Field last week ticked off a litany of concerns, from drought to cool temperatures to emerging disease problems affecting corn and soybeans.

But overall these growers also rated crops better than the previous week and also bumped up yield estimates. While the hopes – or perhaps fears – for yields remains on average well below USDA’s estimates Aug. 12, they’re creeping closer to the agency’s forecasts.

Average corn yields posted last week came in at 163.6 bushels, nearly six bpa below the government. Soybean yields of 43.7 bpa were nearly five bpa below USDA.

“Small corn ears,” noted a grower in east central Iowa. “Many soybean pods with 2 beans - none with 4. Many blanks near the bottom of the plant.”

Conditions and weather varied widely around the growing region, a reminder that “average” weather is usually a misnomer.

“Rain is what is needed,” wrote a farmer from central Illinois. “Rainfall total in my area is on 1 inch to date. Seeing fields starting to burn up some spots are past the ear height.”

But the issue in west central Minnesota is too much moisture, according to an assessment there” “Have been way too wet all summer. Lots of unevenness. Got hit with a hail storm last week. It's not pretty.”

“Too cold,” said a producer to the west in South Dakota.

Many posts last week noted fields will need additional time to mature, worrying about the impact from even a normal first frost.

But not everyone was negative in their evaluations. “With a challenging spring, the season has turned out good so far,” commented a grower from west central Wisconsin.

Follow along with the season by clicking these links:

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.