With the exception of Tuesday morning’s fog, the weather has been fantastic for the harvest, and no surprise that over the last week it’s been go go go. As always, it was start with the corn, and move to the soybeans when they’re ready. Vermilion County Farm Bureau spokesperson Tom Fricke says, the soybeans are looking strong, but it varies in different parts of the county.
AUDIO: Sounds like the soybean yields have been real good. Of course we have such a variety of soil types from north to south in the county, so what one end gets the other end won’t. Some of the southern county numbers are coming in at around 70 bushels (per acre) of soybeans. For corn acreage, it’s been coming in over 200 bushels for the most part so far, but we’ll just have to wait and see as time goes on.
Last week was National Farm Safety and Health Week. And with all the sunny and warm weather of late, and all the activity we are seeing out there with the temptation to go while the going is good, Fricke says the points about take care of yourself first really apply right now.
AUDIO: You have to take care of yourself to be able to get through the harvest season. Make sure you take those stretch breaks, get out and walk around for five minutes or so, take the time to eat the meal sitting on the end of the field instead of going through the rows, and that sort of thing.
Fricke says that statewide the progress of the Illinois harvest is right about at the five year average, and certainly ahead of last year at this time. He says that so far locally, it may not quite be the bin busting harvest some predicted, but the rest of the week looks dry, so look for a lot more soybeans to be taken care of.
