While the soybeans are not quite ready to come out of the fields on Bob Henry’s farm, corn harvest is underway this week. Bob reported that other farmers in his area are seeing higher-than-expected soybean yields with good oil content. He added that he anticipates providing customers of U.S. soy with a high-quality product this year.
Q: What is going on in the fields this week?
A: We are still picking corn and we experienced rain this week, so we haven’t started cutting beans yet. We have about two days left of cutting corn and then should be starting our soybean harvest this weekend.
Q: What’s one challenge you’ve experienced this week?
A: The rain has slowed things down, but we needed the moisture. Some of the soybeans have been a little green and a little late. Some farmers have had issues with getting their soybeans to mature and dry so they can start cutting them. But the yields have been better than expected so far from what I have heard. One farmer in the area that started soybean harvest this week said that the oil content is really good this year and they are getting good premiums on oil content. Sometimes weather conditions throughout the summer can make an impact, so that is good news.
Q: How do you think your soybean yield this year will compare to last year?
A: The soybean yields should be very comparable to last year because the whole area here had really good yields last year around 60-70 bushels of soybean per acre. I have heard that the yields so far this year are right around that as well. It’s looking like it will be a good yielding crop as well as a quality crop.
Q: What’s one thing you would like your customers to know?
A: I would like for them to know that the soybean yields appear to be better overall than what some had projected. From a customer and buyer standpoint, I think there will be a good supply of quality soybeans this year.
Sept. 27, 2013
Corn harvest is finally underway in the Sunflower State, and when he’s not in the combine, ASA Vice-President and farmer Bob Henry is checking his soybean fields. This week he’s counting down the days until he can start harvesting this year’s soybean crop. Henry anticipates a good soybean harvest this year – if the weather cooperates.
Q: What is going on in the fields this week?
A: We started corn harvest and it’s going well so far. We are at least two weeks away from soybean harvest, and a lot of my soybeans were planted later than others in the area. Other farmers in the area look like they may start harvesting earlier-planted soybeans any day now. Overall, it’s been a good and productive week in the harvest season.
Q: What’s one challenge you’ve experienced this week?
A: Weather has been the biggest challenge for us lately. We have had a little rain, but we need dry, warm weather and Mother Nature’s cooperation to bring harvest along. We are waiting for the soybeans to mature so we can get started with harvest.
Q: What’s one thing you would like your customers to know?
A: The soybean yields in this area of Kansas are going to be above average from what our normal yields. Our prospects look really good, so if the soybean maturity finishes out, we should have a very good soybean crop.
September 5, 2013
This week we talked to Bob Henry, ASA Vice President from Robinson, Kan. He shared with us some of his challenges of waiting for heat to help his soybeans mature, but overall the crop looks very good and he expects to provide at least an average crop this year.
Q: What is going on in the fields this week?
A: We are watching our corn and soybeans mature before harvest. Both are behind on maturity by about two weeks because of late planting this spring. We should be looking to harvest our soybeans around the beginning of October so we are starting to prepare for that.
Q: What’s one challenge you’ve experienced this week?
A: We are experiencing moisture problems because of late planting with our corn. For soybeans, we are hoping for some warmer weather to help them finish maturing. We’d like to see normal weather for this time of year, but we haven’t had much of that. Luckily, we did receive two inches of rain this past weekend which was great for our soybeans.
Q: What’s one thing you would like your customers to know?
A: I would like our customers to know that we are expecting at least an average crop this year if not an above-average crop. Everything is looking good. Our soybeans have matured nicely here in this part of Kansas and we expect to provide a safe and affordable crop.
August 8, 2013
This week we talked to Bob Henry, ASA Vice President from Robinson, Kan., to find out how his soybean crop is doing. He shared with us how the recent rainfall and warm weather has affected his crop in a variety of ways.
Q: What is going on in the fields this week?
A: We received around four inches of rain last week, so our corn and soybeans are really taking off. We just need more sunshine and great weather. We’ve had a large amount of rain to help our crops look good and we’ll continue to see that the next few weeks.
Q: What’s one challenge you’ve experienced this week?
A: We’re starting to see some wet spots and we’re trying to determine if it’s just wet ground or some nitrogen leaching. There’s also a chance of late germinating weeds that always seem to grow when we have a lot of moisture. However, it’s nothing too serious at this point.
Q: What’s one thing you would like your customers to know?
A: At this point, our crops look really good, especially because of all of the rain. If we continue to have this warm weather we’ll have a great finish into the fall.
July 9, 2013
This week we talked to Bob Henry, ASA Vice President from Robinson, Kan., to find out how his soybean crop is doing. He shared with us how the warm weather is helping speed up crop growth and that herbicide applications can address challenges in the field.
Q: What is going on in the fields this week?
A: This week we just finished spraying. Also, the warm weather is really speeding up growth. On our farm it has been around 90 degrees with a slight chance of rain.
Q: What’s one challenge you’ve experienced this week?
A: Weed pressure was becoming a concern for us but our herbicide application has thankfully taken care of that problem.
Q: What’s one thing you would like your customers to know?
A: I would like our customers to know that the soybeans are growing well and the weather forecast is favorable. Also, our stands look healthy.
About Bob Henry’s Farm: On his farm, Bob and his wife Janis grow 1,000 acres of soybeans and 1,200 acres of corn annually.
