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Slideshow: Check out these harvest scenes — including a sunset — from a farm in Illinois. Plus: How is the 2021 harvest coming?

Holly Spangler, Senior Editor, Prairie Farmer

October 12, 2021

16 Slides

A lot of farm families will tell you: Harvest is their favorite time of the entire year. The days are long and so is the work, as the season can stretch from T-shirts to sweatshirts to Carhartts. But when the crops are good and the family’s working together, often with excellent farm employees, it can be a sweet time to bring in the efforts of the past year.

Illinois crops have matured ahead of schedule in general this year, and as of Oct. 1, 95% of the corn was mature, compared to the five-year average of 82%. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 83%, compared to the five-year average of 77%.

Harvest, too, has run ahead of schedule in 2021. As of Oct. 10, corn harvest in the state had reached 55% complete, compared to the five-year average of 46%. Soybean harvest was 43% complete, compared to the five-year average of 45%.

The corn crop itself has been in good condition, with 70% rated either excellent or good, 23% fair, and just 7% poor or very poor. Soybeans are nearly identical, with 71% rated excellent or good, 20% fair, and just 9% poor or very poor.

Check out this slideshow for a look at harvest on one Illinois farm through the eyes of Prairie City farmer Bridjet Blout, her parents Aaron and Julie Blout, and her grandfather Armin Blout.

About the Author(s)

Holly Spangler

Senior Editor, Prairie Farmer, Farm Progress

Holly Spangler has covered Illinois agriculture for more than two decades, bringing meaningful production agriculture experience to the magazine’s coverage. She currently serves as editor of Prairie Farmer magazine and Executive Editor for Farm Progress, managing editorial staff at six magazines throughout the eastern Corn Belt. She began her career with Prairie Farmer just before graduating from the University of Illinois in agricultural communications.

An award-winning writer and photographer, Holly is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association. In 2015, she became only the 10th U.S. agricultural journalist to earn the Writer of Merit designation and is a five-time winner of the top writing award for editorial opinion in U.S. agriculture. She was named an AAEA Master Writer in 2005. In 2011, Holly was one of 10 recipients worldwide to receive the IFAJ-Alltech Young Leaders in Ag Journalism award. She currently serves on the Illinois Fairgrounds Foundation, the U of I Agricultural Communications Advisory committee, and is an advisory board member for the U of I College of ACES Research Station at Monmouth. Her work in agricultural media has been recognized by the Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn, Illinois Council on Agricultural Education and MidAmerica Croplife Association.

Holly and her husband, John, farm in western Illinois where they raise corn, soybeans and beef cattle on 2,500 acres. Their operation includes 125 head of commercial cows in a cow/calf operation. The family farm includes John’s parents and their three children.

Holly frequently speaks to a variety of groups and organizations, sharing the heart, soul and science of agriculture. She and her husband are active in state and local farm organizations. They serve with their local 4-H and FFA programs, their school district, and are active in their church's youth and music ministries.

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