Field Notes checks in with Illinois corn farmer

The sixth season of Field Notes follows corn farmer, Jim Raben, from Ridgway, Illinois. 

The program follows a year in the life of American farm families. For Raben, it has been a tough corn growing season because of bad weather. The United States Department of Agriculture reports near-average crop progress across the country and a strong corn crop condition across the state of Ilinois. 

However, Raben has not seen the progress he expected for the year before planting season started. He said Gallatin County farmers have struggled so far this season.

“The corn here doesn’t look as good as the 71 percent in good or excellent condition being reported across the state,” he said. “Here, I would say that 50 percent is in good or excellent condition at the most. Due to the wet weather during planting, we have a lot of young corn and, at this point, it could still go either way.”