How's your local corn crop?

[MattTuck]

As the old adage goes, "knee high by the fourth of July".... it seems to be seat high by the first of July this year...


How's the local corn crop in your neck of the woods?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xDDN-UfN410/UdGD4zCfLCI/AAAAAAAAEiA/R9nHFRbz7VY/w958-h573-no/IMAG0245.jpg

[Cat3roadracer]

Non existant in Upstate NY.

[kramnnim]

I haven't paid a lot of attention to the local cornfields, but it seems to be at full height. Makes it hard to look for oncoming traffic on some intersections.

[J.Greene]

The harvest just finished for our version of Silver Queen.

[tch]

That's really tall for July 1!
Here in NW Ct., some -- where it didn't flood -- is knee-high. Other places, it's non-existent where the water has been pooling. So 18" and 0" all in the same field.

[zott28]

Funny that I just noticed a corn crop about 8' tall on my way home from fly fishing this past Friday. My brother inlaw and I started talking about running thru them as kids. California!

[oliver1850]

It's generally shorter than normal here, but last week's 90 degree days gave it a boost. In a good year, it's near knee high by June 4th. The range is from 6" to about shoulder height right now. I saw some fields last week that were not yet planted (which will be soybeans if they get done), and there are lots of ponds where there should be crops. Last night I saw a field of wheat that was already cut, which is very unusual this early.

[donevwil]

How's the local corn crop in your neck of the woods?

Genetically modified for the most part.

[victoryfactory]

I saw some 3' plus up in New Paltz on Saturday.
The Long Island stuff was about 2'

They stagger the plantings to allow harvest well into the Fall nowadays.
We don't always see every field from the road.

PS: The stuff from Florida is here now and it's pretty good. Next will come Jersey
in a couple of weeks.
VF

[cekte]

Genetically modified for the most part.

Sadly the case for nearly all 'conventional' corn crops in the US at this point.

[MattTuck]

From the WSJ -- A Corn Boom Starts to Wilt (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323446404579006594160246998.html)

OAKLEY, Ill.—The boom in corn prices that helped propel the U.S. farm economy is fading amid expectations for a record-high harvest.

Prices are down more than 40% from last year's all-time highs, to their lowest point in nearly three years. The decline is bringing relief to meat producers and other food companies hurt by steep costs for animal feed and other ingredients made from corn. Lower corn prices also could curb supermarket prices for beef.

But the slide is bad news for farmers who saw their incomes surge to the highest levels since the early 1970s, adjusted for inflation, while farmland values ballooned so much that some analysts worried about a bubble. Lower corn prices will squeeze profit margins, farmers who rent land for their crops might struggle to make money, and sales of tractors and other farm supplies likely will suffer.

Corn is the largest U.S. crop, grown on more than 400,000 farms. The total area harvested for the grain is as big as New Mexico. On Friday, corn traded in the futures market for slightly more than $4.65 a bushel, down from $8.31 a bushel last August. Prices for soybeans, the U.S.'s second-biggest crop, are down more than 20% from a year ago.

Many analysts predict even sharper declines. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. last week lowered its 12-month price forecast to $4.25 a bushel. If prices stumble that far and stay there, it would "put a serious crunch in the margins," says T.J. Shambaugh, whose family has grown corn here for more than 150 years.

The 53-year-old Mr. Shambaugh expects his 2,000-acre farm to yield about 200 bushels an acre this year, up from 85 bushels last year. He sold half of his expected crop for more than $5 a bushel earlier this year. "For 2013, we're gonna be OK. 2014 and 2015 might be a different story," he says.

Corn prices hovered at less than $2.50 a bushel for most of the past decade. Prices surged in 2008 because of flooding and growing demand by the ethanol industry. The recession knocked prices back down, but they rebounded even more strongly, fueled by foreign markets such as China and a drought that crimped supplies. Prices largely have stayed above $6 a bushel in the past two years.

[67-59]

The corn here in southeastern MN looks fine as I ride by...but I've bought some from a few farmers and thus far it has tasted pretty awful. No sweetness, weird texture, etc. Very disappointing, as I really look forward to fresh sweet corn this time of year.

If the apples are as bad and it screws up my apple pies this fall, I'm gonna be really mad.:mad:

[johnniecakes]

In south east Pennsylvania it has been excellent. The yellow and white mixed with BLT's and watermelon is as good as it gets. From the pack of a farmers pick up it goes for around $3 a dozen

[R2D2]

Corn has come and gone around Charlotte, NC.
Tomatoes got wrecked this year by excessive rain.
My garden drowned.

[gomango]

The corn here in southeastern MN looks fine as I ride by...but I've bought some from a few farmers and thus far it has tasted pretty awful. No sweetness, weird texture, etc. Very disappointing, as I really look forward to fresh sweet corn this time of year.

If the apples are as bad and it screws up my apple pies this fall, I'm gonna be really mad.:mad:

It has been spotty in Minnesota. We have a source in Lindstrom that produces excellent corn.

[rice rocket]

The corn here in southeastern MN looks fine as I ride by...but I've bought some from a few farmers and thus far it has tasted pretty awful. No sweetness, weird texture, etc. Very disappointing, as I really look forward to fresh sweet corn this time of year.

If the apples are as bad and it screws up my apple pies this fall, I'm gonna be really mad.:mad:

Maybe they mixed their crops. Most corn grown in the US is not palatable, it's grown specifically for ethanol production, corn syrup, etc. It's the "preferred" breed because it can be grown very densely and your yield per acre is greater.

[bironi]

It is August 12, and my raised bed sweet corn is 10' tall. Some looks ready for harvest by the end of the week. I'm in Olympia, WA - not really corn country, but with special care it looks like it will be fine.

[gomango]

Maybe they mixed their crops. Most corn grown in the US is not palatable, it's grown specifically for ethanol production, corn syrup, etc. It's the "preferred" breed because it can be grown very densely and your yield per acre is greater.

Who knows!

Sweet corn is a local "must have" at this house though and we can usually find an ample supply.

Especially bi-color.

[Sheldon4209]

The corn is Indiana looks excellent in most places. My wife and I were riding this morning and stopped beside a corn field. I commented on how tall the corn is and she went into the field and stood beside the corn. The corn was over twice as tall as my wife, probably 11 feet or more. Now, the farmers are complaining because the price is going down.

[dekindy]

I remember the phrase "knee high by the fourth of july" about 40 years ago. Not sure when it became no longer relevant but I have been noticing it forever.

Crop here looks healthy and bountiful.

[67-59]

I remember the phrase "knee high by the fourth of july" about 40 years ago. Not sure when it became no longer relevant but I have been noticing it forever.

Crop here looks healthy and bountiful.

When Monsanto got involved....