Statewide Iowa — During Thanksgiving time, thoughts turn to the bountiful harvest. The literal harvest is, as usual, drawing to a close. And the harvest of soybeans in the state is done, while work remains when it comes to corn.
The weekly U-S-D-A crop report shows most of the beans are in the bin — while 92 percent of the corn has been gleaned from the fields. The report says the northeast, southwest and south-central sections of Iowa continue to lag behind in the corn harvest — with 15 percent of the corn still remaining to be harvested in those areas. The corn harvest that was hampered by weather, remains eight days behind the five-year average. The bean harvest had been very near the end heading into the week before Thanksgiving — as that report showed that there were only three-percent of the soybeans remaining in the fields. That was five weeks behind the five-year average. The moisture content of corn being harvested for grain averaged 17 percent.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach agronomist Joel De Jong says more of the corn has been harvested in northwest Iowa.
We asked De Jong about yields in northwest Iowa.
De Jong tells us what has kept farmers busy in the past few weeks.
The crop report also says there was some limited stress on livestock in the last week and fluctuations in temperatures caused lung issues in some calves. Cattle continue to graze in harvested fields, with limited hay being fed.
