McLean County Farm Bureau

FarmDoc Daily

• Fringe Acres and US Average Corn Yield
  Does high corn acreage necessarily reduces average yields through the inclusion of fringe acres? Historical data show no significant correlation between planted acreage and yields, suggesting that large corn plantings predicted for 2025 can coexist with record yields, potentially maintaining bearish price pressure.
• The Financial Efficiency of Illinois Grain Farms: Examining the Operating Expense Ratio by Farm Size
  The median operating expense ratios for Illinois grain farms have increased significantly in recent years across all farm sizes, reflecting a deterioration in financial efficiency. While large farms generally report higher median ratios, the distribution of their reported ratios exhibits less variability than those of smaller operations. Along with declining incomes, rising input costs — […]
• Missing the System for the Adoption: Lessons on the Cover Crop Learning Curve, Part 1
  A tendency to miss the bigger or more complete picture because of an overemphasis on smaller details is an infinitely adaptable and applicable concept. A particularly intriguing application is understanding adaptation to change in complex systems with challenging interdependencies. Another matter to which the old idiom resonates is the challenge of managing cover crops. We […]