2016 Planting Season is complete

It has been a wet spring but we have been fortunate to have enough dry days to finish the 2016 Planting Season. The last week has been very successful with all four McKay boys home assisting and 3 planters in work, sometimes at the same time. We had to replant areas of corn due to the heavy rains in the last weeks. We were blessed to finish the last field of soybeans 30 minutes before another 7 tenths of rain.

Plant 2016 is in full speed!

Spring is here and Planting Season has arrived! Rain has delayed the process some including over an inch last night throughout all of Central Illinois. We have over 80% of corn planted and praying for some sunshine to get back at work. Currently, 57% of corn in Illinois has been planted. Check out a few pictures from #Plant16.

Merry Christmas from The McKay's!!!

Picture from Cristina and Tyler's Wedding June 27, 2015

Cash Rents Not Falling Fast Enough For Farmers

(Anna McConnell) With cash rents not lowering as fast as commodity prices, farmers are still gritting their teeth at high prices per acre at the end of 2015. BUT cash rents are falling, just at a slower pace. "Cash rents really need to come down,” said Doug Martin, an Illinois corn and soybean farmer. “Rents are coming down, but just not probably quite as fast they should.”

Cash rents tend to lag behind the pace market prices fall at due to farmers still having cash to spend from years past, according to Iowa State University crop markets specialist Chad Hart. High-profit producers are able to snatch up land that others can’t afford, which puts those operators at a competitive advantage and keeps rates higher for a period of time. 

A number of factors influence cash rents including commodity prices, land values, and gross farm income. Hart expects to see a drop in cash rent/land value within 1–2 years of the gross farm income dropping 2%. 

“The USDA is forecasting around a 40–50% drop in income level, which points to a 20–25% drop in cash rents and land values,” said Hart. “We’ve already seen 14% of that land value drop in Iowa.”

In northern Iowa, cash rents of $300 per acre are being reported, but southern Iowa counties are seeing rents drop below $200 in some areas. 

In Indiana, cash rents hadn’t seen any kind of cut in 15 years until 2015.  According to a June cash rents survey conducted by Purdue University, Indiana’s cash rent rates averaged $229 per acre on land with average productivity. In west central Indiana, rents as high as $281 were reported while southeastern parts of the state saw a low of $152 per acre. 

“We think cash rents will continue to decline in the upcoming year,” said Michael Langemeier, a Purdue agricultural economist. “Something like 5% would be an anticipated price decline.” 

With cash rents still a little steep, Langemeier is seeing more interest than ever in flex rent. In Indiana, less that 10% of farmers using that option, but it is something to bring up with a landlord. Just remember that flex rent is variable and very appealing to landlords, he said. 

Fall is time for land improvement season

As harvest season is over, fall tillage is completed and cleaning of farm machinery is finished, the next chore is to continuing to improve the land owned and operated by McKay Farms. It is important to pay close attention while harvesting fields to see any low spots in fields, dead trees around the ends of fields or anywhere needing more drainage. The early completion of harvest 2015 allowed the family to spend more time on improving the land and improving acreage for future generations.

Removal of trees increased acreage and quality of land

Time to Clean the Farm Equipment!

Blake McKay washing John Deere

Tyler McKay cleaning Brent Grain Cart

Harvest 2015 is over and preparations are made each day for the coming year. The beautiful weather lately has been great to allow us to clean our farm machinery before storing for the long winter ahead. We have most of the equipment cleaned up but still have to finish a few tractors and the hardest piece- the combine.

Favorable conditions could bring farmers back to wheat

(Illinois Farmer Today) Ideal fall weather conditions may have helped shorten the memory of Illinois wheat producers who have endured two years of trouble with the crop. Many observers expect planted acreage to be down somewhat this fall. But the dry fields, combined with timely corn and soybean harvest, coaxed some back to their planters. “Conditions have been really good. October has been dry,” said Craig Ratermann of the cooperative Gateway Farm Service. “Coming off the past couple years, though, with wheat quality issues, that’s going to keep our acreage down.” While yields were good this year, quality was a problem. Excessive rainfall in late spring ushered in head scab and other diseases. That resulted in low test weights, vomitoxin and other problems. Some producers reported they were lucky to break even when hauling some loads to the elevator, as prices after dockage barely paid for fuel, seed and inputs. “Test weights were a little light,” Ratermann said. “We had more problems with sprout damage this year. There was some vomitoxin, but vomitoxin was worse the previous year.”
Pioneer agronomist Scott Eversgerd doesn’t believe acreage will take a big hit. He credits the pleasant weather conditions along with a growing commitment to wheat among some growers.

“From an acreage standpoint, we’re probably close to fine,” he said. “But the number of growers growing wheat is probably down. Those who grow wheat have planted equal acres or a few more.  “There are also some growers who aren’t planting any. At the end of the day, acres will be flat or maybe slightly down, but not a huge adjustment down.” Kyle Brase, who farms near Edwardsville in Madison County, planted less wheat this year. Quality issues with the 2015 crop, however, weren’t the reason for that decision. “We are down just a little bit but mostly just because of rotation,” he said. “We didn’t have any other decision than that other than that’s how the crop plan worked out.” Some of his neighbors are foregoing planting wheat this year, but Brase doesn’t see that as part of a long-term trend. “There are a few of them shying away, but mostly only because of the trouble we’ve had the past couple of years, he said. “We’ve had quality issues two years in a row.”

Farmers unhindered by wet fields were able to get their crop into the ground in a timely manner this fall. But for some, the pleasant conditions weren’t enough to change their minds. “The planned acres for guys doing rotation are mostly done,” Ratermann said. “If it weren’t for the last couple of years with quality issues, we’d see a lot more wheat going out. But it’s left a bad taste in people’s mouths. . . . We’ll still have a crop, but it’ll be below-average acres.” Eversgerd said the dry conditions are good, for the most part. “With the exception of the west side of Southern Illinois, the other part has gotten pretty good moisture,” he said. “The wheat has gone in in great shape. Planting conditions have been very good. So I think who had been thinking about it worked the ground, it worked great. “Wheat’s getting off to a good start. That all puts a little optimism out there, I guess. “In St. Clair County and that part of the world, they’re really dry over there. There are actually a few guys who quit planting because it’s too dry.”