Central Illinois got some much-needed rain the first week of October which gave farmers a bit of a break from the 2017 harvest which is halfway complete. In this issue, Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator Doug Gucker discusses soil testing, cover crops and new decreased fertlizer recommendations. Follow Doug on Twitter @soilwaterdoug or subscribe to his blog "Acres of Knowledge" at web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp/eb263/.