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Nov 3, 2009 11:09 pm US/Central
Wet Farm Fields Putting Damper On Harvest
GREEN ISLE, Minn. (WCCO) ―
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On Nov. 1, the average amount of corn that should be harvested is around 70 percent. It's typical that by this time of year nearly all the soybeans in the state would already be picked. (File)
CBS
On a day when fields should be bustling with the machines of harvest, weeks of rainfall have left the fertile soils wet and off limits. Soggy corn fields can't support the weight of an 18-ton combine.
"The harvest is about a month behind schedule right here," farmer Paul Gohlke said with disappointment as he and his father looked out at the 900 acres of soybeans and corn that needed to be harvested.
The Gohlkes, like so many other farmers across Minnesota, are running way behind. Their Sibley County farm looks more like a swamp than a sea of golden grain.
The younger Gohlke said, "The neighbors aren't going either, so it's not like you're the only one. I visited with my uncle this morning and he said over 9 inches of rain fell in October. It's definitely wet."
Consider that on Nov. 1, the average amount of corn that should be harvested is around 70 percent. It's typical that by this time of year nearly all the soybeans in the state would already be picked.
But according to the latest figures from the USDA's National Agriculture Statistics Service, the wet autumn has farmers seriously behind schedule. As of Saturday, farmers had harvested only 12 percent of their corn and just over half of their soybeans.
To make matters worse, it's not just the soggy soil that's causing anxiety. The grain itself is to wet with high moisture contents.
Before the grain will be accepted for purchase and storage, farmers are required to reduce the moisture content artificially. If the grain goes into storage too wet, it can cause mold and mildew to spoil an entire storage bin.
Rising plumes of steam are the telltale signs of large grain driers operating around the clock. They burn hundreds of gallons of propane to generate the heat needed to dry the grain.
Gene Hugoson, Minnesota's Commissioner of Agriculture, says every gallon burned further cuts into profits.
"At this time of the year, the moisture content of that corn should be down around 15 to 16 percent. We're seeing cases where it's 25 to 30 percent, which means that farmers have to spend extra money to dry that corn," said Hugoson.
On the few dry days farmers have had, their work was non-stop. During a nice stretch of weather it's not uncommon to see headlights working the fields in the pitch black rural darkness.
Mark Meierbachtol drives a semi-trailer truck hauling grain to market. He said that 17-hour days are common.
"We're taking the stuff down to Savage and getting the stuff moved out as fast as we can," Meierbachtol explained.
But sadly, very little is moving fast for farmers like Paul Gohlke. But even while staring out at the wet landscape, he's ever hopeful that the combine that's barely left the machinery shed will soon be tooling down the fields.
"Always optimistic that it's going to be better some day," he said, smiling.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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