Knee High by the 4th of July

Every Fourth of July, our family has a tradition of taking our annual "Knee High by the Fourth of July" photo in one of our cornfields. It's a fun chance to see how much the corn has grown, and capture how much our #1 crop has grown - our kids, from year to year. These photos help us document the story of another growing season, another year of memories, and another Independence Day spent right here on our Iowa farm.

This year, we really can't complain about how the growing season has gone so far. We wrapped up spring planting in good time and have been fortunate to receive timely rains throughout the season. While many parts of Iowa have dealt with flooding and excessive rainfall, we've been thankful that we've had just enough moisture to keep the crops growing.

We knew the corn had been growing, but we were amazed at how much it had changed in just the past week! A stretch of hot temperatures, plenty of humidity, and scattered summer storms really gave the crop a boost. In fact, our corn has already started tasseling, marking the transition from the vegetative stage to the reproductive stage of growth.

One thing that surprised us the most this year was the size of the developing ears! If you've followed our "Knee High by the Fourth of July" posts over the years (2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013 and 2012), you know we usually hold up tiny ears that fit in the palm of our hands. This year, they were noticeably larger than we've seen in past. We're hoping that's an encouraging sign of what's to come this fall.

Of course, every growing season is different, and there's still plenty of summer left before harvest. But seeing healthy fields is a reminder of how much goes into raising a crop — from improved seed genetics and fertile Iowa soil, to the right balance of sunshine and rainfall. Farming is always an exercise in faith, patience, and gratitude, and so far we've been blessed with a season that has given us plenty of reasons to be thankful.