U.S. corn harvest almost 20 percent complete

Sep 26, 2018

Producers in North Carolina lead the nation

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Combines continue to roll through American corn fields.

U.S. farmers have harvested about 16 percent of the total 2018 corn crop, the USDA’s latest Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin says. That number is up from 9 percent last week.

On a state level, growers in North Carolina have combined the most corn.

Producers in the state are 76 percent through their corn harvest. That figure represents a 10 percent increase from last week.

Growers in Colorado have harvested 1 percent of the state’s corn, which is the lowest figure among the 18 documented states.

The USDA ranked 69 percent of the American corn crop in good to excellent condition.

Soybeans

American farmers also continue to make progress with their 2018 soybean harvest.

Growers have combined about 14 percent of the country’s total soybean acres, the USDA says. That number is up from 6 percent last week.

Louisiana soybean growers lead the U.S. in harvest completion.

Farmers in the state have completed 66 percent of their harvest. That number represents a 15 percent increase from last week.

Producers in North Carolina and Michigan have combined the fewest soybeans.

Growers in both states are 4 percent through their respective soybean harvests. Those numbers represent a 1 percent increase from last week for North Carolina’s farmers, and a 4 percent uptick from last week for Michigan producers.

The USDA ranked 68 percent of the national soybean crop in good to excellent condition.

Wheat

U.S. farmers are also moving ahead with 2018 winter wheat planting.

Farmers have seeded 28 percent of the national winter wheat crop, the USDA says. That number is up 15 percent from last week.

Growers in Washington have planted the most winter wheat to this point.

State producers have seeded 65 percent of their winter wheat. That number is up from 47 percent last week.

Producers in North Carolina are the only ones yet to plant any winter wheat.

Suitable fieldwork days

Farmers in California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona experienced seven days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Sept. 23.

During that same period, growers in North Carolina (2.7), Iowa (3) and Minnesota (3.1) had the fewest suitable fieldwork days.

Weekly precipitation levels

State	Precipitation (inches)	Weather Station
Illinois	0.78	Rockford
Indiana	0.95	South Bend
Iowa	4.45	Sioux City
Kentucky	2.27	Jackson
Michigan	3.02	Grand Rapids
Missouri	1.14	Columbia
New York	4.01	Binghamton
Pennsylvania	2.38	Wilkes-Barre
Tennessee	1.00	Bristol

The next Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin will be released Oct. 2.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.