News

Early planted Eastern Iowa corn ‘chin to nose high’

An eastern Iowa farmer says his earlier planted corn is doing well.  John Maxwell of Donahue, Iowa, near the Quad Cities, tells Brownfield Ag News his best crop was planted between April 11 and April 15.

“That corn looks absolutely beautiful,” Maxwell told Brownfield Ag News Thursday.  “I am about six feet, five inches tall, and it’s about chin to nose high on me.”

Rain after mid-April created a challenge for finishing corn and planting soybeans, according to Maxwell.  Some had to be replanted.

“We got a pounding rain, it created a crust, the beans couldn’t come up, so I interseeded some beans on quite a few of those acres,” said Maxwell.  “It’s been a challenging spring, but nevertheless, when it all comes down to it, it probably will be average.”

In addition to cash crops, hogs and beef cattle, Maxwell grows feed and forage for his 220 dairy cows and hosts thousands of foreign and domestic guests annually who tour his farm.

AUDIO: John Maxwell (1 min. MP3)