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Between the Rows Tour concludes in Michigan

The Between the Rows Tour with Michigan Corn reports slightly better yields than expected. Executive Director Jim Zook says they saw a wide range of yields during the state’s first official crop tour. Over the last week, the tour traveled from Southeast Michigan into the Thumb.

“We went into Lenawee and Washtenaw County where we actually saw the yields drop to county averages of around 147.” He tells Brownfield, “Then this week, we went to Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac Counties where we’ve seen the yields increase significantly.”

Zook says Sanilac County had an average yield of 171 bushels per acre, Huron County was 183 and Tuscola County was at 173.

“Which gives us a raw state yield average of 169.”

Zook tells Brownfield, the tour coincided with their expectations of lower yields in Southern Michigan and higher yields in the Thumb. He says USDA’s projected yield for 2015 was 165 bushels per acre for the state, not too far off from the results of the Between the Rows Tour.

AUDIO: Interview with Jim Zook (3:19 mp3):