HARVEST NEARS FAST END

    “An almost record pace.” That’s how Chad Voss of Agtegra in Langford described this harvest season. With many area farmers having wrapped up their harvests in the past weeks or plan to soon, this year’s crop season came to a much earlier finish compared to 2023. 
    According to area sources, by early this week, most farmers were finished with corn or will likely be finished this or next week.  Brady Wieker out of Full Circle in Hecla said in his neck of the woods, the majority of farmers were through with corn and will wrap up soon.  Soybeans are well in the rearview mirror. 
    Statewide, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, as of last Friday, corn harvested was 78%, well ahead of 57% last year, and ahead of 59% for the five-year average. Soybeans harvested was 96%, near 93% last year, and ahead of 87% average.
    At harvest, the local experts agreed that the corn looked good. “The corn dried down really well and the yields have been good,” said Joe Gustafson of Full Circle in Britton. Voss agreed that in his area, very little drying for corn was needed. “Yield look to be slightly above average,” he added, though noted that some areas suffered from wind damage.
    “A hair above average,” is how Wieker described corn to the northwest. “Some was pretty good and some was in the middle of the pack.” 
    With soybeans, the story was a little more tepid. “The bean crop just got a little too dry,” noted Gustafson. “The yields were a little disappointing. A good shot of rain in August would really have helped things.” 
    “We saw some good beans out there, but then some that were pretty dry,” said Wieker. “The bean crop wasn’t exactly blowing the doors off yields this year.” 
    As they look forward, area experts say that rain would still be helpful for the fall fertilizer season. “It would be nice to get an inch of rain between now and freeze up,” commented Voss. 
    “Some decent snow fall would really set us up well for spring planting,” Wieker added. According to this week’s state crop report, topsoil moisture supplies rated 36% very short, 46% short, 18% adequate, and 0% surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies rated 31% very short, 44% short, 25% adequate, and 0% surplus.