Some Wisconsin Farmers Reaching the Finish Line for Harvesting
Tuesday, October 29th, 2019 -- 8:39 AM
(Wisconsin Ag Connection) -Though most farmers in the Badger State have suffered from delays during the planting and harvest seasons of 2019, some are finally reaching the finish line.Despite a soaking rain on Monday of last week, the latest crop/weather report from the Wisconsin Ag Statistics Service noted that corn silage, alfalfa and soybean harvests were in full swing by the past weekend. Many dairies were also rushing to empty their manure pits as fields cleared up. Topsoil moisture levels were rated 66 percent adequate and 34 percent surplus. As of Sunday, 74 percent of the state's corn crop was reported mature, 27 days behind last year and 19 days slower than the five-year average. About 13 percent of the corn for grain was combined, while corn silage was 81 percent chopped. Just 63 percent of the corn was considered good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week.
Most of the soybeans were mature enough for harvest, with 46 percent now taken off the fields. That's four day behind last year year's progress and 11 days behind average. Soybean condition was 64 percent good to excellent, down two percentage points from last week. Winter wheat is also running two weeks behind schedule at 69 percent planted and 41 percent emerged. But the potato harvest is catching up at 93 percent harvested. The report further notes that some farmers are still taking off fourth crop in the hay fields. And fall tillage is about 20 percent complete as of this past weekend.
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