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Iowa farmer surprised by corn yield potential

After receiving less than an inch of rain in July, north-central Iowa farmer April Hemmes wasn’t sure what to expect when she started doing yield checks on her corn this week.

Hemmes, who farms near Hampton, Iowa, says she was pleasantly surprised.

“I almost hate to say this, but it was far better than what I thought. My lowest was 215 bushels and the highest was around the 260 area” Hemmes says. “It’s early, I know, but everything is dented—even my 113-day corn. So I was kind of surprised.”

Hemmes, who missed the big windstorm that swept through parts of Iowa on Monday, says her soybeans are suffering from the lack of rain.

“The beans are short. There are lots of pods. I mean, the pods are there but they’re just probably a foot or two shorter than they normally are.”

Hemmes received some rain on Monday, but she says more will be needed to help with grain fill on corn and pod fill on soybeans.