For a number of years Central Farm Service (CFS) has done a crop tour in their service area to estimate corn yields. When the tour began it was done in August. The last few years the tour was pushed back to September to get a better understanding of stalk quality, maturity of the crop and other agronomic issues. This year the tour was done September 10th through 16th.

The 2017 CFS Corn Yield Tour totaled 65 stops. The tour covered an area from Dolliver Iowa to Comfrey Minnesota, then moved northeasterly to Nicollet and Hastings. The eastern boarder was from Hastings to Cannon Falls, Wanamingo, Kasson and then down to Rose Creek, Myrtle and Emmons.

I read the results of the CFS Corn Yield Tour with great interest given the last 2 USDA Supply Demand Reports. Remember the USDA raised the estimate of the national average corn yields when the trade guess was for a decrease. We were very fortunate in Minnesota that we did not suffer a drought like the Dakotas, Montana and much of Iowa. Plus Illinois and Indiana were forced to do a lot of replanting last spring. Minnesota was often called the "garden spot" of the Midwest!

We in Minnesota did have some challenges with the weather though. Last spring we had stretches of cold wet weather that delayed planting. There are also some areas of corn fields with less than perfect populations. Last year every field seemed perfect from one end to the other.

My personal perception was we have a very good corn crop in the field, just not quite as good as last year. Many farmers last year harvested their best corn crop of their career. So, the results of the CFS Corn Yield Tour? The 2016 adjusted yield was 199.66 bushel an acre. For 2017 the CFS adjusted yield was 196.88 bushel an acre. The difference this year, a decrease of 2.78 bushel an acre. It you would like to read the entire report on the 2017 CFS Corn Yield Tour go to the CFS web site: cfscoop.com.

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