View from the Cab: July 4th break

We are unofficially at the halfway point of summer with the Fourth of July holiday this week.

How can this be? We just got done planting in June and it seems like the kids just got out of school. Time sure does fly by and this is the perfect example. It seems like only yesterday when we didn’t know if or when we would be able to plant our crops and now they are growing quite well. Even the corn and soybeans that were put into the ground in recent weeks aren’t off to a bad start.

With delayed planting, we are also experiencing a delayed spraying season. Corn planted a few weeks ago is just being sprayed now while corn planted clear back in April was sprayed a long time ago along with those earlier planted soybeans. Some restrictions have been lifted and growers in Illinois can now apply Dicamba products to soybeans through July 15. This was changed from the initial June 30 deadline.

To make things even more confusing, some growers are still trying to finish up side dressing of nitrogen in cornfields while others are cultivating their 30-inch soybeans. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some walking beans this summer just to stay ahead of weeds. There is plenty of work still to be done and we are barely into July. All of this work will seem to run right into harvest time – whenever that may be.

We are taking some well-deserved time off this week for family activities surrounding Independence Day. It will be a day full of fun on Thursday as we head down to the Towanda flea market and parade first thing in the morning before seeing the Chenoa parade in the afternoon followed by a meal at my dad’s farm. Then we will venture down to the big Ford County Fourth of July celebration in Sibley with Rebecca’s family to see the fireworks.

I wonder how many “oohs” and “aahhs” will come out of our mouths during the spectacular display. The kids always seem to be mesmerized by what they see and I am sure baby Kaislee won’t quite know what to think. Kasen and Kenadee have become fans of sparklers so I am sure we can expect our own private fireworks pre-show with those two.

I hope you all have a great holiday celebrating with friends and family. Since it is on a Thursday this year, you have my permission to make it a long weekend.

(The View from the Cab blog is powered each week by Petersen Motors of Fairbury)