The barren fields are now brown,

But wait, no farmer has a frown,

Even for old-timers, this year is the best,

Winter is coming & agriculture has new zest,

Exceptional yields, especially for corn,

Exceptional prices, no one is forlorn,

Thanksgiving, a wonderful time of year,

We celebrate with those we hold dear,

Remember February's Valentine snow,

Lots of us were unable to go to and fro,

Let's start in April, cold and wet,

By the third week of April, planters were rolling, you bet,

The Easter frost hurt peaches, apples, and wheat,

But the optimist spirit you cannot defeat,

Soybeans were planted in May,

It was hard to find a rainy day,

Crops looked good, despite being dry,

We spent the summer looking for rain in the sky,

A timely rain just before corn tassel,

No disease or pest gave us much hassle,

Soybean rust stayed south for most of the season,

Aphids stayed up north for some reason,

Corn earworm stayed out west,

Rootworms, borers, and J. beetles were our pest,

The corn hybrids and soy varieties were put to the test,

Exceptional yields showed which was best,

200 bushel was the lowest in some test plots,

Standing well with minimal ear or stalk rots,

Just after Labor Day, harvest began,

Corn was unusually dry so combines ran,

Long days, no rain and great yields,

Golden piles grew daily from corn in the fields,

Grain handlers did an awesome job,

Record corn crop from lots of big cob,

Moving corn by truck and train,

"What a year" was the common refrain,

Many finished corn before harvesting soy,

Good bean yields, too, farmers went "Oh, boy",

Now we are tilling, tiling, fertilizer spreading or soil test,

Smiles on farmer's faces, they are full of zest,

An unusually warm harvest that was dry,

Combines almost did fly,

Champaign County has blessings that make us unique,

Let's take a moment and take a peek,

Wonderful people are everywhere,

We see them at Gordyville, I & I, Fisher, and Champaign County Fair,

Ag. heritage is preserved by a club called I & I,

Historic Farm Days is every July,

In August was Half Century of Progress in Rantoul,

Quite a show, it was really cool,

The "shock and awe", of a 48 horse hitch,

Everyone there just went "Wow",

Farm Progress in Decatur went well,

Despite the heat, the permanent site is swell,

We are lucky to have Curtis Orchard and Hardy's Reindeer,

Unique family fun in a rural atmosphere,

Alto takes the grape and makes wine,

Buy a bottle to enjoy while you dine,

Join us for marketing club on Nov. 5,

Brian Maple will tell us if prices go up or will dive,

We are so thankful for our prime soil,

Generations of farmers on this land they do toil,

Pray for our soldiers across the sea,

Doing the tough job of protecting you and me,

Remember the Pilgrims and their Indian guests,

Celebrating their friendship on a feast to digest,

Oh, look is that snow,

Where did 2007 go???

Was this year a fluke or the start of a trend,

We look to 2008 and wonder how we will fend,

As we are thankful for our bounty,

Happy Thanksgiving to all in Champaign County!!!