Knee high by the Forth of July

In the old days, corn was measured to be healthy if it was "knee high by the Fourth of July." Many area states like Iowa corn is shoulder high by the forth. Here in South Dakota the old saying still holds true. With fair crop prices and a good crop outlook things are really looking good this year.

  If you’ve driven anywhere lately I’m sure you’ve noticed how wonderful the crops look throughout the area. The corn is very nice green and tall this year. If weather conditions stay favorable we should be looking at a bumper crop this year. Things this spring were a little shaky with a delay getting into the fields for most area farmers.  The beans this year also look very good and have started to leaf out. As long as we can keep the hail storms away the farmers should have a good bean crop this year.  The wheat in the fields looks very nice too, some of it’s starting to turn that lovely amber harvest color.

  One thing I haven’t seen in the fields is barley. I guess the prices and the need for barley  isn’t that good anymore and in this area there isn’t much of a demand for it. Oats is another crop you just don’t see much of anymore.  You see a few sunflower fields but not that many. I haven’t seen any in this area that I can recall.  Either way things look good so far for a bountiful harvest this fall.