Fellow upper midwest neighbors, how the crops?

I need rain, really , really bad. Still better off than many in the southern states, from the road you would expect 180 bu corn, but I have yet to tassel, and we have NO rain in the 10 day. could go to pot real quick. Beans are some how growing good. Have corn 8' tall, and corn 4ft tall, same feilds. Have yet to tassel, long day corn. Every irrigation in the area is running non stop, even seena few mow down corn to install a pivot, run a gun. I feel for the small to mid dairy guys that have all thier acres in silage corn. Feed and alfalfa will be very high this year and next. Alfalfa was dismal, 15 acres got 28 1000# bales forst crop, 2nd will be less. 7 acres of that original 22 froze out, no tilled soybeans in 1" and 2" deep, hit with RR, 1"-1.5" seeded sprouted and dried up and died, 2" planted are playing catch up, very light soil, really need a drink to take off. Cows are happy, bull is doing his job, new low land pasture is more than sufficing, calves are gaining like crazy. Chickens hated this past week's heat. Nuff bout me, how are the rest of ya doing. Included a pic of our new Pure bred Simmental bull, son of Hooks Shear Force. Born end of May 2011, should sure put some muscling into my herd.

We are in western South Dakota, about 50 miles west of Pierre. We are just about to wind down on winter wheat harvest. Had some 50+ bu/acre wheat, so that has turned out very well. Everything else is dismal at best. I think we have had about 5 inches of moisture since the first of the year. Safflower, corn and millet all came up good. Safflower got hailed really hard early. Kind of came back, not very good, but worth keeping. Starting to bloom good. Millet and corn is still green. Don't know how it is staying green though. Alfalfa was next to nothing. 30 acre field, our best, yielded 9 1000 lb. bales. Got 94 bales one year. usually get 50-70 on a normal year. Have some rented ground that has seen a little more moisture, but most of this aea is dry. With millet at $18/cwt. and safflower at $35/cwt. we are sure hoping for some rain so we can get healed up at the bank this year.

I'm kinda sitting in the same position you're in. If we were alone,I'd be complaining and a nervous wreck,but it could be worse.
We had 1.2 inches June first,then another 1.75 from two storms June 16th and 18th. Had a storm blow through in a big way early Thursday morning,got three tenths. The grass is fairly green,corn has been rolling in the hundred degree heat,but looks real good early mornings.
Pastures are still hanging on,haven't had to start feeding yet and won't if we get some rain,but if not in the next two weeks,I'll have to feed.
I got the oats in in March,they look excellent and are turning. Did most of their growing before it got hot and dry.
Guess I've been doing this too long now to think things won't turn around at some point and that we won't be OK.

Over here in se wi,we need rain also,but our clay soil is helping kinda sorta.The corn is just about to tassel out its only had 9/10 of rain on it since may18 last was our last measurable rain.we had storms rumble thru but only dropped enough rain to wet the pavement.the beans are starting to die out in spots not many above 8 inches tall if that.the hay is hurting also,we had a dry winter so first crop was smaller than normal,and second ofcoourse is always less.like I said that clay holds in the moisture and second crop did grow,third I think will be nothing.not much we can do pray and apparently mother nature has other plans.

Hey Dave,
Funny how a short distance can change so much. I am praying for the rain to stop so we can start haying. Have water standing in the low spots of every field, and some are so saturated you can't walk anywhere on them without rubber boots or you will have wet feet. Our corn is doing ok, with about 20% of the 15 acres or so drowned out. Oats are doing good. The Aitkin area 30 miles north of me has 1000's of acres under anywhere from 2-6ft of standing water. No crops or hay of any kind up there this year. Every time the forecast is for 20% chance of showers, we get 1-2 inches of rain. I'll try and send some your way!
Nice looking bull, and I hope all are doing well at your place.

Here in PA the deer have gone aquatic, browsing stuff from the bottom of the pond. I wish they'd eat those thistles though!
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Its 105 here to day. Am about 40 miles south of the Neb. line and just looked at my corn crop and looks like I can write it off. Just don't know how any rain will help it. Trees suffering also now.

We are to the point here in west TN that regardless of the commodity prices folks are going to take a crash. Even if corn is 10/bushel if a guy doesnt make any then he cant sell it.