The 2018 harvest is nearly complete, and the United States Department of Agriculture released their final crop progress and condition report this week.

According to the USDA, there were 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork last week, and those were used to harvest corn and soybeans, bale stalks, apply manure, and move grain. Early in the week, farmers were doing fall tillage, tile repair, and anhydrous application, but those activities were halted due to declining temperatures, rain, and snow. At this point, the USDA reports 96% of the state’s corn crop has been harvested, four days behind the five-year average, while 98% of the soybean crop is harvested, nine days behind last year and 12 days behind the five-year average.

Perry area farmer Mike Brelsford said it was a tough year for him and most other farmers, as their yield was questionable until the end, though he says it met his expectations. Brelsford said corn was over 200 bushels per acre, while the soybeans were actually the best he’d ever had at between 60-70 bushels. He said the most difficult aspect of this growing season was the weather, which had long periods of excessive moisture, followed by periods where there was none. This also essentially took two full weeks out of the harvest schedule. “It normally can be over with in the first part of November, even the end of October. We started early, we actually thought we were going to be done early. But it didn’t work that way, so we worked right up to Thanksgiving and there’s still work to be done. So if there’s another opportunity, we’ll be right back at it again, (and) I’m sure most people are in the same boat like that.”

As for preparation for next year, Brelsford said he has finished fall tillage, but came up short on the anhydrous application and manure spreading, which will now have to wait for warmer days.