The rest is starchy and dry field corn, which is mostly used to feed cows. Indigenous peoples originally cultivated corn's wild ancestor, teosinte, over 9,000 years ago in what is now Mexico.

Corn is getting further along. We have some tasseling going on and fungicide being applied. The soybeans are flowering and in ...

That is an old saying by farmers that is used as a measuring stick to determine how their corn crops are faring in summer.

According to the 2024 Wisconsin State Agriculture Overview, there were 52,000 acres of sweet corn harvested in Wisconsin.

The hot and dry conditions are making farmers prepare for a rushed corn harvest season as well. “I think it’s going to be a mad rush to get that corn out,” Ellens said on Sept. 30.

The Applebys have been harvesting both corn and soybeans after getting in the field Sept. 16. The weather has been dry for the most part. “We had a couple little sprinkles,” Appleby said.

For corn especially, rain in June and July is critical as the crops tassel and pollinate. One field over, Barton’s soybeans weren’t much better. In 2023, Barton yielded 90 bushels of soybeans ...