Conditions stayed dry in October, and that allowed Minnesota grain farmers to work at corn harvest for as long as they wanted.
Many farmers began to park their combines, tractors, dump carts and trucks each night, as it was time to slow the pace – even if they weren’t completely finished.
In general, corn yields were excellent in Minnesota, although there were some areas where the yields were lower.
As of Oct. 26, 81 percent of the corn was harvested in Minnesota, compared with 37 percent for the five-year average. The average yield is estimated at 184 bushels per acre.
Only 3 percent of the soybeans were left to harvest by Oct. 19, and harvest reached 99 percent by Oct. 26.
Some farmers began to report they had finished harvest, but that didn’t mean the work was done.
The equipment needed cleaning, winterizing and storing away. There was manure to spread and some tillage to complete.
By the end of October, Minnesota farmers expected to have the majority of their crops out of the fields, said Lona Rookaird, DuPont Pioneer technical sales agronomist who lives near New Prague, south of the Twin Cities.
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