In this week’s Boots in the field report with Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist, he takes a different approach. He brought in farmers from states impacted by the recent hurricane-like storm to share what they’re seeing in fields.

Joe Malecek: Osage, Iowa

Nestled at the Iowa-Minnesota boarder, Malecek is joined by another farmer Brandon Barker to share what they’re seeing. They were fortunate and missed much of the aggressive winds and other damaging forces Mother Nature sent to the Hawkeye State.

“Things look pretty good here,” Malecek says. “We’re a little short on rain—it’s been spotty. [But] we’ve got a good crop here.”

He says that he’s finding 16 to 18 kernels around by 30 to mid-40s kernels long on most of the ears he’s pulling. Soybeans were planted early and many are still flowering—they could use some rain. Overall, Malecek thinks the crop will turn out and be ready on schedule.

While he did have a little damage, some goosenecking, from the early July storm, it only shaved five or six kernels off the length. By Malecek’s math, those fields will be about 30 bu. short but still have harvestable ears.

Get more of Ken Ferrie’s expertise at this year’s Farm Journal Corn College. Today is the last day to sign up!

Scott Schildroth: Rinbeck, Iowa

Twenty-five miles south of Waterloo, crops got off to a rocky start. The July 8 storm brought some much-needed rain, but with it came high winds and damaged fields. He had gooseneck and greensnap. To add insult to injury, his fields were hit with the derecho storms last week.

“So, this corn that got gooseneck in July seemed like a real ‘holy cow’ situation,” Schildroth says. “[But] it wasn’t affected by the ‘hurricane’ so now gooseneck and greensnap corn from July is standing corn we’re excited about picking.”

The storm took out both of his cattle buildings but he was able to get the animals to safety, something he counts as a blessing. His grain handling facility only suffered minor damage that he says he’ll be able to repair before it’s time to start drying corn.

However, other farmers and elevators around him weren’t so fortunate.

“There’s just 10s of millions of bu. of grain bin and farm storage that’s just gone,” Schildroth says. “That damage for those guys that have to try and pick down corn—now they don’t have anywhere to go with it.”

Listen here for more, including a farmer from Ohio, straight from the mouths of farmers about what they’re seeing, how cleanup efforts are going and what they expect this year.