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Planting picking up in southern IL

Better weather this week has helped a southwestern Illinois farmer get started planting.

Randolph County farmer Rich Guebert Jr. spoke with Brownfield while he was filling the planter Wednesday…

“We got started putting some corn in the ground yesterday.”  He says, “The wind has just been terrible here for spraying or putting on dry fertilizer, but planters can still keep moving, so a lot of beans going in the ground, lot of corn going in the ground.”

He says they missed the rain that was forecast earlier this week which means they can keep working.

“Couple fields in the river bottoms where we work the dirt, it’s working like a garden.”  He says, “Ground temperatures are right at 58 degrees, 57 degrees. It’s really working nice.”

As for potentially shifting any acres this season, Guebert says…

“You know, a few years ago, we shifted quite a few acres back and forth, but that really messes up our rotation.”  He says, “And so, we’re going to stay with what we’ve got. Last year we had quite a few more corn acres and this year we got a few more bean acres.”

As of Monday, 3% of corn and 4% of soybeans have been planted in Illinois. 

Guebert, the immediate past president of the Illinois Farm Bureau, was also named the Ag Association Leader of the Year by the National Agri-Marketing Association.

“Totally unexpected, but I really appreciate the honor,” he says, “and you know, looking at the list of past honorees, I’m very privileged to be a part of that group.”

AUDIO: Rich Guebert Jr. – Randolph County, IL farmer