Temperatures warmed this week and even though lows were in the single digit's several mornings we did reach 40F a couple of afternoons. The forecast next week is promising a high of 60F by Wednesday before we cool down again by the end of the week. This should help the river that is still full of ice and local elevators are only open once in awhile. Beans worked higher this week, gaining about 50 cents on the nearby contract while nearby corn only gained 3 cents. We did sell some beans on the rally and will have to wait for the river to open up so we can deliver.
Chad, Tanya and Avery are heaed to Texas A&M University for a visit today, this is one of the university's that Avery has been excepted to and they have several visits planned over the next several weeks. Avery wants to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, which is very hard to get into, but won't have an answer on that until April so she is working on plan B and C in case she is not excepted. She wants to study aeronautical engineering and be a military jet pilot. Avery has the grades, has passed her physical and has given the Air Force everything they have asked for so time will tell.
Pictures this week are of the still ice covered Illinois River, and a couple of pictures of covercrop rye on a 100 acre field that we will hopefully be planting to beans in about 6-8 weeks.
Next week we have some shop work, grain to haul and might be able to start on some bull dozing by the end of the week.
I hope all is well and you have a productive week ahead,
🌽CBOT corn futures worked slightly higher in the week ended Jan. 20, but money managers held their net short position relatively steady on the week (very slight net buying).
Funds will now be assessing huge U.S. export demand, Brazil planting pace and 2026 U.S. crop prospects. pic.twitter.com/g6d0yPq8dm
We remain very cold here in Illinois with lows at or below 0 several mornings this week. Forecast call for a gradual warming trend next week and I hope they are right! I noticed on the national weather report this morning that it will get down to the low 30'S as far south as Miami, Florida this weekend. I would guess the citrus crop is in danger and many people who went south to stay out of the cold failed, at least for a few days. I lived in southern Florida for several years when I was a kid and 40 degrees down there seems like 0 here as many houses don't even have heat and warm coats are hard to find. To my surprise the river remains open and tow boats are still moving. It looks like Beardstown received several empty barges this week and most area elevators have been able to receive grain on a part time basis as they struggle to get barges under their spouts to load.
Beans worked up this week and we sold some for February delivery before they lost everything they gained by late in the week while corn seems stuck in a very narrow trading range and ended the week with a local nearby cash bid of just over $4.30.
We made great progress in the shop this week , finishing up several projects and getting them out of the shop. Next week we have several grain contracts to fill if the elevators are open and I am sure we will fill the shop again as we have many more things to work on before spring. On the construction side Ryan and I looked at another project yesterday and if we get it we will be "booked" until at least mid summer,
Pictures this week are of the river near the Cargill Beardstown dock. The darker looking ice is what the tow boats have churned and broken up and you will even notice a little "open" water on the last picture
I hope all is well and you have a productive week,
