Although a couple weekends back we did actually have a small amount of frost with overnight temps in the 34-35 range, ever since then it’s been sunny, warm, calm; and perfect weather for harvesting. CIMG Ag Director Gale Cunningham mentioned once again that with that slight frost killing off much of the plants and leaving the grain to just wait for the combines; area farmers have been pretty much non-stop; because after a first frost of any kind, it’s time to schedule the remainder of the journey.
AUDIO: And of course, the farmers kind of look forward to it. They kind of gage what the rest of their tillage plans and also the rest of the harvest; based on that Indian Summer. And I know that they kind of target that. A lot of them want to be done by that time.
As for when this year’s harvest will be over, Cunningham says there will be little worry about missing out on Thanksgiving dinner this year.
AUDIO: There’s been times where I’ve been in a combine on Christmas Day. So, I think a majority of people will be starting to finish up, if the weather holds like it’s supposed to; that goes into the middle of next to to the end of NEXT week, I there’ll be a lot of people that’ll be done. (Between Halloween and Veterans Day, that’s pretty good.) I would say so.
Meanwhile, the storyline since the start of harvest that said, “corn coming in a bit low for various disease and flooding reasons, soybeans having few problems if any;” that has not changed.
AUDIO: I think most everybody is at least well pleased with their soybeans. Not over-excited “going to the Bahamas happy,” but I think they they’re pleased with the bean yields. And I think that they’re pleased with the corn yield. They have been used to just having a little bit more.
A couple weeks back the governor signed the executive order allowing red-dyed diesel to be used not just on the farm but also out of the roads transporting; but Cunningham says a lot of farmers were already set up for the full harvest anyway. And those that weren’t, a lot of them just aren’t sure how this will work out.
AUDIO: I think a lot of farmers already had their fuel spoken for; pre-paid for, or they had enough fuel storage to get them through harvest. I think most everybody is holding off on it because they don’t really know; are they really going to not give you a ticket? And if so, are they going to have the record system to get the right tax on the right diesel that you may have used for field use on the road.
The governor’s executive order for red-dyed diesel expires December 31st.
The hear any of Gale Cunningham’s daily farm reports, go to “AG CHECK WITH GALE CUNNINGHAM” at https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/galecunningham/
