2019 is finally coming to an end, but that does not mean that your opportunities to continue learning about crop management from Extension have to! 

There are few different Extension programs for commercial agriculture towards the beginning of the new year to consider attending. 

There is no doubt that the 2019 growing season was unlike any that we have experienced to date. Seemingly unending rainfall in late spring delayed planting of most cash crops within the state, which left many growers pondering the idea utilizing prevent plant at a historic rate. Tie this into the fact that 2019 was also the first year that industrial hemp production was legalized within the state of Illinois, and things became really interesting.

Needless to say, we have had an extremely atypical growing season in 2019. A prolonged planting window due to relentless rains, with many fields not planted until June, have resulted in many higher-than-average grain moisture levels at harvest. Observing elevated harvest moisture on a widespread basis throughout Illinois can have some inadvertent ramifications for grain storage. Please consider this following hypothetical chain of events: 

There is no doubt that the 2019 growing season has been full of ups and downs. First there were the relentless rain events that delayed planting in the spring. Next we had an extended period without any rainfall late in the summer. And then, when it was about time to think about getting out in the fields to start harvesting, another round of consistent rain. We simply could not catch a break. 

Hello! My name is Chelsea Harbach and I am the new commercial agriculture Extension educator located at the Northwestern Illinois Research and Demonstration Center outside of Monmouth, Illinois.