View From the Cab

Farmers Ready for Plant 2021

Pamela Smith
By  Pamela Smith , Crops Technology Editor
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Farmers Reid Thompson of Colfax, Illinois, and Ryan Jenkins, of Jay, Florida, reported on crop conditions and agricultural topics throughout the 2020 growing season as part of DTN's View From the Cab series. (Photos courtesy of Reid Thompson and Ryan Jenkins)

DECATUR, Ill. (DTN) -- Let's get a new party started. Florida Panhandle farmer Ryan Jenkins squeaked out the last of his cotton harvest right before year end and already has his eye on #plant21.

"The last few years we have been finishing harvest in December and turning right around and start again," said Jenkins, who headquarters near Jay, Florida, and also farms in the southwest corner of Alabama. "I'm not complaining, but it is work to find downtime around here."

Central Illinois farmer Reid Thompson wrapped up harvest right on schedule this year, but dry conditions and nice weather kept the doors open for cover crop planting, laying down strips and more recently, tiling. The new year brought snow, but not enough moisture to keep the tile plow from working, said Thompson, who farms near Colfax.

Thompson and Jenkins reported on field progress, crop conditions and all sorts of agricultural topics this year as DTN's volunteer View From the Cab farmers, a weekly feature that the newsroom began in 2005. This is the 30th report from these two farmers regarding the 2020 season.

As we wind down this crazy season, Jenkins and Thompson had actually taken a few days to escape the field and decompress -- either through brief family trips or finishing off home repair projects. Read on to learn what's happening in their world this week and top-of-mind topics as they gear up for the coming season.

Farmers interested in participating in the 2021 View From the Cab opportunity can apply by writing a small paragraph about their farm business and why they would like to participate. Submit applications to pamela.smith@dtn.com.

REID THOMPSON -- COLFAX, ILLINOIS

The tile plow Thompson Farms purchased four years ago has been busy of late. "We've been chipping away, doing 20,000 to 40,000 feet a year. But this year the calendar really opened up to get some tiling done," Thompson said.

The problem became getting tile, since many farmers also saw opportunity to improve drainage. "I waited six weeks (after ordering) to get a semi-load of tile. It was like Christmas came early when that finally showed up," Thompson said.

Thompson, who farms with his father Gerald, said they've already put down 30,000 feet of tile and plan to tile another 20,000 feet as weather permits this winter.

The other surprise gift this year has come in the form of commodity prices, Thompson noted.

"It's a lot easier to look forward to the coming planting season when we have $4.50 corn and $11.50 beans. For the first time in three years, I have a comfortable margin in my farming budget, and it contains no government payments," he noted. Thompson farmed part time for several years before returning to the family farm full time in 2019.

Government programs and crunching the numbers around them will continue to be an important part of what farmers do though, he figured. Carbon credits, for example are a topic he knows he needs to learn more about in order to process the significance.

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"If I participate in a program, I want to think it is meaningful -- or doing what is intended. However, sometimes it is hard to know if that is the case.

"I'm excited about the idea that I might get compensated for our efforts with strip till and cover crops that go beyond a standard conservation program. I do have questions about whether it is better pushed as a government or a private program. But the idea of measuring value and promoting continued practices rather than doing something one time incentivizes me."

Staying up with the science and really understanding programs and how to feel about them is perhaps the biggest challenge, Thompson added.

"I know I should care about everything, but you have to draw the line and try to figure out what is important and what you can control," he admitted.

Winter months provide time for such thoughtful topics, especially as one sits in the truck line making grain deliveries, he said.

Read more about Thompson Farms here: https://thompsonfamilyfarm.org/…

RYAN JENKINS -- JAY, FLORIDA

Weather dominated the year for Jenkins -- from drought to multiple hurricanes. When View From the Cab features started in May, much of the acreage he farms was so parched that he parked cotton planters to wait for rain.

Boy, Howdy! Jenkins got his wish for water. The region was able to duck and dodge severe damage and the crop was looking good until Hurricane Sally made landfall in September and unleashed up to 30 inches of rain.

The beating from that one storm stripped about half the cotton yield potential, he figured. Subsequent hurricane events added insult to injury and hopes dwindled as cotton harvest delays mounted.

Then he endured another crushing blow -- the variable rate fan drive failed on his cotton picker -- filling the engine up with metal and hydraulic oil, events that caused bearings and ultimately, the engine, to fail. Replacing an engine on the cotton picker became a 5-week-long ordeal costing approximately $80,000 for the repair.

Jenkins goes into detail on the symptoms of the engine failure and the repair in a YouTube video -- hoping to save others a similar experience. You can view it and subscribe to see other free Jenkins Farms videos here: https://www.youtube.com/….

Despite challenges getting a replacement engine, holidays and COVID-considerations, Jenkins remains grateful for good support from suppliers. The repair bill may sound steep, but it is a fraction of the cost of a new roller cotton picker.

"We went into midsummer with high hopes of 1,500 lb. cotton and possibly the best crop we've ever had," Jenkins said. Instead, the crop yielded around 600 lb. and suffered severe quality discounts.

The peanut crop was the saving grace for the farm this year, as management decisions on when to harvest to avoid hurricane activity turned out well for yields and grades. Nearly all his peanuts are high oleic, which garner a premium.

However, Jenkins admitted drawn-out harvests take a toll on more than yield. "There are lots of other things that are important in life and they get put on the back burner and begin to stack up -- because you can't just not harvest a crop," he said.

To take his mind off how the year ended, he's planning on spending a week or so around the house doing woodworking projects and other honey-do items that have waited -- some of them for almost a decade, he admitted.

Whittling down lists like that makes one feel good, but it won't be long before he's back at the farm shed. The operating loan has been secured for 2021. He's been pulling soil samples, analyzing fertilizer needs and cleaning up equipment. Soybeans will likely be back in the rotation this coming year.

"If we can get through a year like 2020, I think we're going to be alright. I know there will be new challenges that we haven't thought about yet, but that's part of what I love about farming," he said.

View From the Cab gave Jenkins a chance to let others see agriculture from his region in a more intimate way -- just as he enjoys learning about crops in other areas.

"I've gotten a lot of feedback and questions and I think it is so important to keep telling our story. This year, in particular, being able to stay connected was so important to me. I wish I could do it again next year," he said.

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Editor's Note:

Read more about Thompson and Reid's year-end results at https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Farmers interested in participating in the 2021 View From the Cab opportunity can apply by writing a small paragraph about their farm business and why they would like to participate. Submit applications to pamela.smith@dtn.com.

Pamela Smith can be reached at pamela.smith@dtn.com

Follow her on Twitter @PamSmithDTN

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Pamela Smith

Pamela Smith
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