2015 US Corn Belt Crop Tour: Wisconsin

Jul 20, 2015

Eleventh state in a 12-state tour

The 4^th annual Farms.com US Corn Belt Crop Tour is continuing to make its way through the American Midwest, visiting some states along the way that, for better or worse, could impact the national yield and commodity prices going forward.

Led by Farms.com Risk Management’s Chief Commodity Strategist Moe Agostino, the team began the tour in Ohio and traveled through Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

The second-last state to be visited during the 12-state tour was Wisconsin.

“I’m not seeing any disease, weed or moisture pressure so far,” Agostino said standing in front of a corn field. “We’ve got chest to head high corn. It may be a little bit behind but we’ve got lots of heat.”

As the tour got closer to Black River Falls, Wisconsin, some pressures started to appear.

“We’re starting to see a little bit of moisture stress,” said Agostino. “But not what we’ve seen in some of the other states.”

From Black River Falls, the tour traveled near Beloit, Wisconsin where some corn crops appeared to be behind.

“Very little tasseled corn in Wisconsin,” Agostino said. “We do see some ears forming.”

Overall, Wisconsin seems to be performing well, but because it isn’t a large producing state, it may not have a large impact going forward.

“Wisconsin looks good compared to most other states,” Agostino said. “Unfortunately it doesn’t rank high in terms of corn and soybean production and doesn’t really rank at all when it comes to wheat production. I’m not sure it’s really going to add to the national yield.”

Be sure to follow the Corn Belt Crop Tour on Twitter using the hashtag #CornBelt15.

Michigan will be the next and last state visited on the tour.

Video: FLEECED! Sheep Shearer Hands Over Clippers!

It's sheep shearing day at Ewetopia Farms! ?? Our Dorset lambs and ewes are getting fleeced — and for the first time, our shearer hands over his clippers to a beginner. We finish shearing the last of our adult ewes and this year’s Dorset ewe lambs.

From moving the sheep between barns, loading them into chutes, and watching the wool come off, this is always one of the most satisfying days on the farm. But this video has a twist — we welcomed a new helper, Gian, who’s not only lending a hand but also learning how to shear! With guidance from our experienced shearer, he got a crash course in sheep shearing and even tried his hand at shearing a couple of lambs himself.

You’ll see firsthand how both teacher and student handled this unique challenge. Shearing is more than just removing wool — it’s about sheep health, comfort, and giving us a closer look at the flock. It’s always amazing to see the transformation from woolly sheep to freshly shorn ewes and lambs.