Thanks to a mild autumn season and late rains, farmers have seen field conditions steadily improve as they head into the winter months. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s December report, 90 percent of Illinois topsoil is rated as having adequate or surplus moisture, with 82 percent of subsoil receiving the same mark.
Many Illinois farmers raise winter wheat, which is planted in the fall, goes dormant during the winter, and is harvested in late spring or early summer. Currently, 67 percent of winter wheat acres are rated as good or excellent.
Illinois pastures that suffered through a very dry period late in the summer, are beginning to rebound, with 45 percent of pasture acres rated as good or excellent.