Maryland farmers get some ‘relief weather’

Temple Rhodes gets a crop saving dose of rain while XtremeAg farmers in South Dakota and Alabama are still battling dry conditions. 

TEMPLE RHODES – CENTREVILLE, MARYLAND

Temple Rhodes is a fifth-generation farmer in Centreville, Maryland. Chestnut Manor Farms includes a no-till farming operation of 3,000 acres of soybeans, 1,500 acres of corn, and 1,500 acres of wheat. His family operation revolves around commodity crops as well as a full-scale hunting business.

We got a shower of what I like to call “relief weather,” which was very helpful. Most farms in the mid-Atlantic got anywhere from a half inch up to an inch of rain. It hasn’t changed a lot of conditions, but it provided enough relief that the crops will live to see another day. We are still running daily irrigation because we are very low on soil moisture. 

A lot of what is going on around the farm is mechanic work in the shop. We are excited about corn prices making a comeback and going up. The market is finally increasing around here which is giving a lot of the farmers in the area hope. We are trying to come up with more marketing strategies and plans as we approach wheat harvest. 

We are also trying to get our other crops up and going. We are making our first applications of the micronutrient packs on corn and soybeans. We are trying to mitigate as much stress as possible on the crop, and trying to pack some nutrients in there at the “last minute” during the V6 stage. Once the corn plants get past V6 the rows around the cob will be determined, so we are trying to get as much energy into the plant before it makes that determination. 

CHAD HENDERSON – MADISON, ALABAMA

Chad Henderson is part of a fifth-generation farming operation in Madison, Alabama. Henderson Farms operates over 8,000 acres of dryland and irrigated corn, dryland soybeans, wheat, and dryland and irrigated double-crop soybeans. When not farming, Chad can be found carrying on another proud family tradition as a drag racer for Henderson Racing.

We are almost finished with wheat harvest. The wheat has turned out surprisingly better than we anticipated a couple of months ago. The bushels are looking nice, and we are expecting a higher yield. 

We will be double cropping the soybeans, meaning that we will be planting the soybeans where the wheat was as we harvest. The planting is going really well. We are running the planters in dry dirt and so far everything is looking good. Hopefully we will receive a good rain to help bring the soybeans up after being planted.

Our corn has suffered. The corn that was planted in the dryer land unfortunately has been suffering due to a lack of adequate rainfall. We were only able to get about half of an inch of rain, so we’re hoping that holds us over until the next rainfall. 

After everything last week, I am excited to be able to go to Kelly Garrett’s field day in Iowa on Thursday, June 22 to see his crops and learn from the other farmers attending.

LEE LUBBERS – GREGORY, SOUTH DAKOTA

Lee Lubbers of Gregory, South Dakota, grew up in the farming tradition, and remembers using leftover scholarship money as the down payment for his first tractor and rent for 200 acres. Today, he farms more than 17,000 acres of dryland soybeans, corn, and wheat. Lubbers says one of the most important things to him is to always be learning and challenging himself to build an operation and a legacy that the next generation can be proud of.

Patiently waiting for rain is the theme for this week. Rains have been spotty to nonexistent for the last month. Our crops are hanging on since the corn and soybeans are smaller yet. Our corn is taking off and hitting the stretch where it could use a lot of moisture, therefore rain is getting more important by the day. Our last planted corn is knee high, our first is just canopying now.

Soybeans are at V4-V5. They look good now. They’re staying clean with no insect issues. Our winter wheat is filling in now. It is shorter than normal and could still be a solid crop if it rains within the next week. Not too far from my farm wheat is getting hayed. It is also burning up and won’t fill. To our north I hear comments that if it doesn’t rain soon, it will be a roundup harvest on their wheat which is sad to hear.

In a few small areas farms are getting a good rain, but most places are getting missed. I was picking up chemicals the other day across the river and drove through an area that has pretty much missed all the rain so far this year. Every corn field was about knee high, grey, and rolled up like an onion. It’s getting do or die time in those spots.  

We are spraying thistles with our gators and about to spray soybeans with our big sprayers.

I am getting to spend some quality dad time taking the girls to softball and tee-ball.  Hopefully the rains are coming in time for numerous areas. Stay safe everyone.

XtremeAg.farm is a team of the nation’s top producers who have come together to share their experience, expertise, knowledge, and farming practices with other farmers. Members get access to exclusive content from the team as well as one-on-one support for their own farming operation. Visit XtremeAg.farm for more information.