The above is a file photo.
A week of sunshine and unseasonably warmer temperatures than usual has had Vermilion County farmers going full tilt on the harvest. The Vermilion County Farm Bureau’s Tom Fricke told CIMG that things are right on schedule, or better.
AUDIO: Harvest is definitely moving full steam. The dry weather is allowing that to continue; not much dew in the mornings, letting guys start in earlier in the day. We’re making good progress. Statewide, we were at about 22-23% done at the start of the week. So I expect to see that number jump, maybe close to 40% by the time next week’s report comes out. We think we have to have it all done by the first of October. Normally, I mean 20 years ago, you didn’t start until the first of October. So, we’re not behind at all.
The one negative has been a Thursday evening field fire that affected 15 acres of standing corn south of Vermilion Regional Airport. The alarm was received at 5:15 PM; and the Bismarck Community Fire Protection District was assisted by fire departments from Westville, Catlin, Tilton, Georgetown, Ridge Farm, Rossville, the Bluegrass Fire Protection District in Potomac, the Fithian-Muncie-Collison District, and two departments from Warren County, Indiana.
The Farm Bureau’s Tom Fricke says the extremely dry conditions remain, and both farmers and non-farmers must continue extreme caution; as a stray spark from any source can start something.
AUDIO: Make sure that the equipment is well maintained. Farmers do a good job of cleaning it off every day, and getting the bean dust out of the way. Those not connected to farming can do their share to help prevent field fires as well. No open burning. No burning leaves that are starting to fall. No wiener roasts too close to a field, or anything like that. No burning trash out in the country. No throwing a cigarette out the window.
Fricke says fire damage is often covered by farmers’ crop hail policies. In regard to the Thursday fire, the Bismarck Fire Protection District added that they are very grateful to farmers who assisted them in fighting the field fire. Farmers not owning the affected land were offering equipment to help dig very important firebreaks.
