After a wet spring and a dry summer, area farmers are harvesting corn and soybeans.
Despite being weeks behind schedule, many farm experts are predicting good yields for area farmers, due to warm weather in October. Normally, soybeans would have been out of southeastern Minnesota fields by the end of September, but this year, due to spring floods, farmers are bringing in soybeans in October. In September 2012, All-American Cooperative in Stewartville weighed 731,000 bushels of soybeans. Last month, only a little more than 9,000 came through.
Throughout the state, bushel yields have varied. Paul Meints, research program manager for the Minnesota Soybeans Association, said some west central farms were only able to harvest 16 bushels per acre. Farther south, in rural communities around Mankato, soybean farmers are harvesting up to 75 bushels per acre. Normally, Minnesota farmers finish with an average of 40 bushels per acre.
"Most farmers are going to be in that 40 to 50 bushel per acre range," Meints said. "Despite a dry, cool summer, the yield rates have been pretty good."
Kasson-Mantorville area farmer Tim Biwer said his corn crop looks good. Lawren Caster, who also farms in rural Kasson, also did not plant his corn until May, but like Biwer, he feels confident in a good crop.
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"It looks pretty good," Caster said. "I feel optimistic. I'll tell you what, I'm sleeping a lot better now that the beans are out."
