News

Iowa farmer says 2024 corn crop was worst she’s ever raised

A north-central Iowa farmer says the 2024 harvest has been disappointing.

“Last year I had the best crop I’ve ever had in corn and this year I had the worst.”

April Hemmes tells Brownfield it was a similar story for soybeans. “We got the rain early, but then it shut off. My beans were under average.”

She says she’s now concerned about the 2025 growing season. “If we don’t get more rain to replenish that subsoil moisture, I’m blessed with thick black dirt but that moisture is gone down there. It was very apparent this year.”

Hemmes raises corn and soybeans near Hampton. She spoke to Brownfield at the recent World Food Prize Borlaug International Dialogue in Des Moines.