Corn field at Brickstead Dairy in Brown County, July 7, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The world of farming is full of old sayings.
One suggests a good season, if corn is growing to be “Knee High by the 4th of July.”
How are the conditions around Northeast Wisconsin?
“The old adage of “Knee High by the 4th of July” still holds true. But our goal is maybe chest-high, or at least waist-high by the Fourth of July. Varieties of corn have changed over the years,” said Dan Brick, Brickstead Dairy Owner.
At Brickstead Dairy, owner Dan Brick says he planted corn the second week of May.
“Maybe missed a few heating degree days not having the corn in the ground quite so early, but things really took off right away. It’s really helpful when you get a dry May to help get those roots established for corn,” he said.
In all, Brick planted 600 acres of corn, as well as 200 acres of soybeans, and 300 acres of alfalfa. He uses the crops to feed more than a thousand cows at this dairy south of Greenleaf.
“Corn usually likes to be around that 85 degree mark. It can actually get too hot in some cases here,” said Brent Petersen, Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department Agronomist.
Brown County Land and Water Conservation Department Agronomist Brent Petersen says the season is off to a good start. On hot days, he says corn may grow a few inches a day. He says the crop needs about an inch and a half of moisture each week as well.
“Hopefully we can continue to get those rains. Especially, it’s getting pretty critical here these next two months here in July and August. Because we’ve got our biggest uptake of nutrients and moisture. So moisture is a key component. July and August. Especially August,” said Petersen.
“We should be up for a bumper year. Our biggest risk right now, when we come into especially the hot summer days, we’re at risk a storm comes and could obviously tip that corn over, or hail. Hail is the other thing that we really have to worry about here for the rest of the summer,” said Brick.
Statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture indicate 82 percent of the week’s corn crop in Wisconsin is rated to be good to excellent.
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