Happy Friday! Short update for you today as we await harvest. September 11, 2020 Update: Soybeans (142 days) The soybean pods continue to fill out and the plants themselves are showing signs of turning, or leaves beginning to turn yellow and brown and fall off the plant. This is a natural process as the plant completes its life cycle and winds down production. See the leaves beginning to change color? This field will look a lot different at this time…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #17
September 4, 2020Happy Friday! Loving the cooler weather with hints of fall in the air. We’re starting to see a few signs of fall in the fields around us, although our fields aren’t quite as far along as some neighbors. Can’t wait to see more leaves on corn, beans, and trees begin to turn! September 4, 2020 Update: Soybeans (135 days) Lots of pods on the beans! We’re to the point where the pods are becoming more visible as they get larger,…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #16
August 28, 2020Happy Friday! Not a lot of changes this week, but some signs that the crop continues to progress. We’re at the point where the beans (and my yard) could use a little bit of rain, which hopefully arrives with the cold front tonight. August 28, 2020 Update: Soybeans (128 Days) Like I’ve mentioned the last couple of weeks, soybeans have pretty much reached their peak height. In fact, they may actually measure out to be a little shorter right now…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #15
August 21, 2020Happy Friday! Another short update for you this week as the crop continues with grain fill and we begin thinking about harvest. August 21, 2020 Update: Soybeans (121 days) The soybeans have pretty much stopped growing taller and the plants have shifted to filling pods with beans, which is what we’ll harvest come October. See how the pods are beginning to bulge? That’s a sign that the beans inside are growing. You can kind of tell in this photo, but…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #14
August 14, 2020Happy Friday! Short update this week as crops continue with grain fill. August 14, 2020 Update: Soybeans (114 days) I remembered my 4-foot measuring stick this week and was surprised to find that the soybeans are closing in on 3.5 feet tall! The soybean field was more difficult to walk through this week as the soybeans are taller and the wind from Monday’s storm tangled the branches of the plants so I lost my nice, neat paths between rows. Fortunately,…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #13
August 7, 2020Happy Friday! Like the last few weeks, there’s not a lot of visible changes happening in the fields, so this will be a quick update. We’ve hit the “hurry up and wait” phase of the growing season as we wait for the crops to fill out ears and pods, reach maturity, and then dry down for harvest. August 7, 2020 Update: Soybeans (107 Days) I forgot my 4-foot measuring stick last night when I went out to take photos and…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #12
July 31, 2020How is it already the end of July?? I don’t have a huge update to share today, but I do have a handful of photos that I snapped real quick before it started to pour down rain. (The last place I wanted to be was standing in the middle of a bean field among plants that are up to my hip.) Unfortunately for me, it had been raining on and off all day yesterday (yay for consistent rains!), so I…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #11
July 25, 2020Summer seems to be flying by! As August approaches, it feels more and more strange to not be having a county fair this year, but it’s reassuring that some annual events like harvest will still be taking place this fall. Here’s a quick mid-season update: July 24, 2020 Update (Yes, I know this is posted on July 25. 🙂 ) Soybeans (93 days) The soybeans are coming along nicely! The ruler doesn’t really show it, but they’re actually growing a…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #10
July 17, 2020It rained! It rained! We received about 5 inches of much-needed rain over the last week, with 4.3 inches in less than two hours just a couple days ago. It was definitely weird to see water puddled in low spots in the field, but that soaked into the ground very quickly considering how fast it fell. July 17, 2020 Update Soybeans (86 days) The soybeans definitely enjoyed the rain this week. They’ve grown taller and wider, completing the canopy of…
Follow the Field 2020 Update #9
July 10, 2020Yep…still need some rain. July 10, 2020 update: Soybeans (79 days) Slow and steady wins the race with soybeans. Last week, I talked about how just because they weren’t growing taller didn’t mean they weren’t progressing (as in, branching out and filling the gaps between plants and rows). These beans definitely felt taller as I was walking through the field and they’ve become much bushier, too. See how the space between rows is almost covered? That’s important to maximize sunlight…