Thorndykes enjoy planting corn

PIPER CITY – Adam Thorndyke enjoys growing corn on his farms throughout Ford, Livingston and Iroquois counties.

His normal crop rotation consists of two-thirds corn and one-third soybeans.

“We feel we can grow corn and handle corn better than we can beans,” Thorndyke said. “We don’t know what we are doing wrong with our beans, but we can’t get them to yield.”

The Thorndykes have more storage for corn than soybeans and they consider corn much easier to harvest in the fall. The crop plan could change if planting gets pushed back far enough this year.

“If we don’t have much corn planted by the middle of May, we may switch to more beans but we’ll see what is available.”

Strong corn yields and average to above-average soybeans best describe 2017 for the Thorndykes.

“If we can get 45 bushel per acre beans, we are doing good and last year, we had only one or two fields below that,” Thorndyke explained.

Thorndyke also grows cover crops to help the soil. He says they lead to less herbicide use and help leave nutrients in the field for the growing season.