Corn looks good; beans improving
ELLSWORTH – McLean County farmer Brian Dirks thought most of his crops looked good from the start, until over 10 inches of rain fell during the summer.
After all of the rainfall, Dirks feared the worst but lucked out since many of his fields are on rolling ground allowing water the get away.
“Most of it did run off and we didn’t have any holes in our fields so our corn looks really good,” said Dirks. “The beans had a slow start but for the last three weeks, they’ve been getting better.”
Dirks, who also raises sheep, feels his corn pollinated well but is hoping for adequate moisture on his soybeans during the rest of August. He was pleased with cooler temperatures during the past week and morning dew which has added extra moisture to the crops.
Dirks also serves as vice president for the McLean County Farm Bureau and was helping at last week’s McLean County Fair in Bloomington. He thought attendance was super this year.
“The weather cooperated and we had a lot of people attend our fair.”
At the Illinois State Fair, you’ll find Dirks and his wife, Linda, near the swine as they are the junior swine superintendents. It is a job they’ve done for about six years now, enjoying their time working with exhibitors and parents.
“We’ve always been the type of people who like to give back to the community,” Dirks explained.
Instead of strictly following the rules of showing like when his girls showed, Dirks now sees the fair from a different perspective of interpreting the rules. He said it is a pleasure working with the State Fair organizers and other fair superintendents. Last year’s Illinois State Fair was cancelled although the Department of Agriculture did have a junior show.
“I’m anticipating good weather, good attendance and good exhibitors,” added Dirks.
The Illinois State Fair begins Thursday in Springfield.
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