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Harvest is in full swing around here.  Driving to the elevator, I see clouds of dust pluming into the sky for miles – the grain storm has arrived.  Many farmers are getting their crops harvested.

HI!  I am Mark Ruschhaupt and brand new on the Committee from the Southeast corner of Macoupin County, at Staunton, serving for District 15.  I felt privileged to be asked to be on the Committee.  I am past Chairman of the Macoupin County Young Farmers.  I helped re-group after several years of the Young Leaders being absent in our county.

My dad, brother and I farm together in the Southeast corner of Macoupin County.  We work together to get the job done.  We have a Simmental, Red Angus cow/calf herd out grazing on fenced in clover fields, because pastures are getting short.  My brother and I also sell Burrus Seed Corn.

We have been shelling corn for the past week.  Moisture is finally getting down to a manageable level – 14 to 16%.  The yield is good, but not as great as everyone expected in my district.  Grain quality has been good.  We have some kernel sprout, but not bad.  I’ve heard there is diplodia in certain hybrids, but not to the elevator docking level.

Very few soybean fields have been harvested.  It will probably pick up this week and we will be cutting by the weekend.  Yields look to be promising.

Going through the fields, we are finding reminders of the wet spring -- small drowned out areas and replant.  The drowned out areas are now populated with morning glories, cockleburs, and waterhemp.  It’s been way too hot to think “cornpicking,” but it sure helped the crops dry in the field. 

The weather has turned cool this week, which is a welcome reminder of Fall.  Everyone please be careful and think of safety at all times. 

Ruschhaupt, Mark Mark Ruschhaupt 
District 15 YL Rep