Page 12 2026 Fall Farm Outlook Lincoln Daily News Oct 2026 not just pregnant pigs that have a problem with the heat, as meat quality tends to decrease with hogs that are raised under exposure to heat stress. There are some things that pig farmers can do to keep their pigs during heat stress events. The USDA recommended the use of good ventilation technologies and keeping windows clear for fresh air. Some farmers use “drip coolers,” which drop small amounts of cold water on the pigs to keep them cool. They use fans with air that is cooled by passing through wet pads. Pigs are not the only animals that need to be kept cool, though. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, heat stress in cows begins at about 72℉ and with a humidity of 50 percent. Cows that are labeled as “high producing,” however, eat more and create more heat. Their heat stress can start at as low as 65℉. A dairy cow’s milk production decreases more as its heat stress increases. Low levels of heat stress can decrease a cow’s milk production by two and a half pounds per day, while severe heat stress can lower it by up to ten pounds per day. The University of Minnesota Extension recommended many of the same cooling techniques for cooling cattle. Good ventilation is important, and farmers can invest in water sprinklers and misters. For cows, another option for cooling is to keep a large amount of shaded area for them. Reagen Tibbs of the University of Illinois Extension office in Lincoln provided some information on how all this heat has been affecting local producers in Logan, Menard, and Sangamon Counties. First, he stated that heat has had an impact on both corn and soybeans this year. “Even though we got timely rains at different parts of the growing season,” Tibbs wrote, “those were countered by long periods of hot, humid, and overall dry weather.” Tibbs expanded on what extreme heat does to corn and soybeans and what has local producers most worried of late. Tibbs explained that extreme heat can also lead to seeds and kernels that are less “full,” which will impact how much crop is yielded. “I have talked to countless producers in the area where grain fill has been one of their biggest concerns late in the year.” In addition to yielding less crop, corn and soybeans plants can also develop diseases in extreme heat. Tibbs shared that, for corn, these diseases usually include tar spots, grey leaf spots, and southern rust. As for soybeans, “red crown rot and other types of crown/stalk rot
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