Brandon Hall

Husband l Father of 3 | CCA/CCS | Location Ops Manager WCFS | BHE ▶️UWP | Advocate of Agriculture Education | 💙 ILLINI 🏀 My thoughts and opinions are my own*

[Matt Montgomery @matt_montgo]

ANSWER (AG QUIZ 5/27): Forages need a recovery period from grazing. At about what height should livestock be removed from most common Midwest forages? As noted by Indiana's WayneK - a good rule of thumb is a few inches. 3 to 5 or 4 to 6 (both answers are in the ballpark).

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on May 15 in Knox County:

"Farmers are making good progress planting this week and many are expecting to wrap by the end of the weekend. The soil has finally become fit for planting; this has helped tremendously with field progress. We have also been planting corn/soybean variety test plots to evaluate throughout the growing season. This research will help us know which varieties perform better under this season’s growing conditions in a side-by-side setting.

In our travels this week we have been checking on emerged corn and soybean fields, focusing on emergence and crop stands. Farmers that have waited for optimal conditions for planting corn have finally received their wish. Soil temps have warmed and soils are not sticky to the feel. Now that most farmers have their crops in, we would welcome a nice steady rain to help with crop growth and development over the weeks to come."

Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. https://t.co/l0CL45vBH1

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Meet @ilsoilnerd, CCA, & 2026 IL Soy Envoy 🌱
As location operations manager at West Central FS, Brandon brings leadership and agronomic expertise to support farmers in the field. He’s passionate about sharing knowledge and advancing practical solutions for growers.
View Brandon's crop reports here: https://t.co/Sb5KzIrxco

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on May 8 in Knox County:

"Field and soil conditions started this week wet and sticky. Soils are cold and have some farmers concerned about crop conditions. This also presents hesitation to continue planting. Throughout the week, the soil has slowly improved. With colder temperatures and cloudy days, it has been challenging to reach optimal conditions for any fieldwork.

VE to VC hits the majority of our soybeans. Some have not emerged yet, and some that were planted in early April are just a bit bigger but don’t look great. Conversations about replanting have been had in some cases. The soybeans in our on-farm Sulfur 2.0 trial that were planted April 25 are emerging this week.

Corn is starting to emerge this week in many fields. There are some fields planted early that have corn in the V2 stage. All corn has a yellow look to it due to the weather and soil conditions it has been dealt."

Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. https://t.co/cCNe1mrQ4c

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

In the latest episode of the Field Advisor podcast, IL Soy Envoy @matt_montgo discusses the 2026 planting season progression and why the calendar remains an advantage.

Listen to the full podcast on https://t.co/HakUiGfaNg.

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on April 24th in Knox County:

"We started off the week with unfavorable (15-20 mph-plus) winds, which kept us out of the field for the first half of the week. In the meantime, we have kept busy finishing up spring anhydrous ammonia and delivering seed to customers.

We continue to make progress with trials, such as our HumiK trial near Lomax, Ill., where we spread dry fertilizer on Friday, now just to plant, and our ISA on-farm Sulfur 2.0 trial also was planted on Saturday. Wednesday, we started spraying, and a lot of local farmers have started planting as well. Friday morning, we were set back a day from 0.10-0.20 inch of rain. Last Friday, we got severe storms with 1-2 inches of rain, high winds and hail. Temperatures have been in the 50s, with frost overnight. We are expecting more severe storms this next week, which could set everyone back with fieldwork once again."

Read Brandon's full report on https://t.co/VyF2Ju06a0 - https://t.co/KXVy12i0WG

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Thanks to @ilsoilnerd for sharing the drone footage of soybeans being planted across sulfur trial treatments for @ILSoybean's On-Farm Trial Network. We look forward to sharing updates throughout the growing season!

To learn more about the trial, visit: https://t.co/LVhwofFPnF

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Early-planted soybeans can face greater risk from bean leaf beetles, but IL Soy Envoy @matt_montgo explains how field conditions and economic thresholds determine when feeding warrants treatment.

Read his blog on https://t.co/HakUiGfaNg. https://t.co/G1TyVbnOdq

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on April 17th in Knox County:

"Started off the week with rain, so field conditions have not been optimal for fieldwork. Our area is officially out of the drought. With the ground being moist, people are still preparing for when it becomes dry. While expecting more rain this weekend, the hope is to get conditions dry enough for next week.

Soil temperatures have risen to around 62 degrees. Temperatures are staying warmer throughout the night, which will help keep soil temperatures up and continuing to rise.

We have kept ourselves busy by helping with FFA events, 'Land Use Council 4 Envirothon' for Fulton County, Hancock County, McDonough County, Knox County and Warren County, and Ag in the Classroom, 'Ag Day for fourth graders.'"

Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. https://t.co/ScWtbGHFFp

[Illinois Men's Basketball @IlliniMBB]

Per source

[Field Advisor @FieldAdvisor]

Crop report from IL Soy Envoy @ilsoilnerd on Apr. 10th in Knox County:

"Daytime temperatures are fluctuating from the 40s to the 80s. With 3-5 inches of rain from last week and 0.4-1 inch this week, soil conditions have been moist. Due to cooler nights, soil temperatures are not optimal for planting conditions. While days become warmer and soil gets up to optimal conditions, we have laid out and accomplished proper protocols for Illinois Soybean Association's Sulfur 2.0 trial and HumiK trials.

With the Sulfur 2.0 trial, in one field we are comparing ATS vs. AMS vs. untreated. In another field, we are comparing AMS vs. 32%. With these comparisons, the goal is to find what better fits the sulfur. In another field, we set up our HumiK trial, which allows organic matter to build in the soil.

The field we are trialing has a very sandy-like texture, which lacks organic matter, giving us the opportunity to experiment on whether this product will benefit this field and how to build it up to get the most yield possible."

Read Brandon's full report on Field Advisor. https://t.co/hiVyMGS5BD

[🆃ⓐ🅹🅷 ♕ @Recru1t1ng_Guru]

Illinois one shining moments #illini

[🆃ⓐ🅹🅷 ♕ @Recru1t1ng_Guru]

War chant playing & Gene Honda on the PA. The '05 Final Four intros go incredibly hard...get me to Saturday #illini

[Brandon Hall @ilsoilnerd]

A little residue decomposition product demo trial we put together this fall. Interested to see the final results of these products!! Visuals look promising . Farm forever don’t let your residues stick around forever!!@PhycoTerra #dontletyourresiduesstickaround #residuemanagement

[Brandon Hall @ilsoilnerd]

@BrevantseedsUS 12J !!

[Brandon Hall @ilsoilnerd]

@brad_gerten @FSCooperatives @OhioCornWheat 💪🏼🌾💪🏼 Congrats!!

[FS @FSCooperatives]

Whether on the court or in the field, every move counts. #FSInVISION and #FSHiSOY are proud to back three university basketball games with schools shaping the future of agriculture in their communities.

[Corteva U.S. @CortevaUS]

The dust in the air, the glow of the sunset, and the sound of grain pouring into the cart. Harvest might be busy, messy, and exhausting, but it always ends with a view that makes you stop and take it all in. 🌅 #harvestviews

[Brandon Hall @ilsoilnerd]

Feeding hay to protect my pastures !!
@CortevaPastures #pasturemanagement

[FS @FSCooperatives]

FS 6157T RIB is haunting fields from the Midwest to the East Coast with scary good yields! 🌽👻 #FSInVISION