An "UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE" Harvest

[Silver001]

http://www.marketskeptics.com/2009/1...e-harvest.html

Video, pictures and charts at website

Friday, October 30, 2009
An "UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE" Harvest
by Eric deCarbonnel

Below are the comments made during the last five days from Agweb’s October Crop Comments.
(emphasis mine) [my comment]
10/30 - Central Illinois: Pam Smith, Farm Journal Seeds & Production Editor: Rain, rain, go away! See a drowning field of beans in central Illinois.



10/30 - Menard County, Central Illinois: I think it is time to remind everyone (or maybe you realize) that just because there is a week of dry weather in the forecast we are actually going to be harvesting for that whole week! Around here we are probably looking at 4 or 5 good drying days before we could consider getting back in the field, and we will still be making a mess. I also expect the Sangamon River and Salt Creek to come out of there banks today and tomorrow, affecting thousands of un-harvested acres. I would estimate that harvest progress for this area is: corn 20% complete, soybeans 40%. What a year…good luck.

10/30 - Bond County, South Central Illinois: UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE.

10/30 - Huntington County, Northeast Indiana: We are having RAIN for the umpteenth time this month!! We still have 125 acres of beans to cut. And they are really good beans. Yielding really well. We have shelled a very small amount of corn and it was wetter than we have dried for several years. 25-30 moisture. We hope we have a lot of nice days in November. Stay safe and keep smiling.

10/30 - Western Walsh County, Northeast North Dakota: A couple good days came our way the first part of the week. We were able to combine the last 600 acres of wheat on Monday and Tuesday. It was all over 20%, but at least it's out of the fields, and holding in air bins while the grain dryer is running overtime. Lot's of edible beans still to be harvested in ND. We have not started on our beans yet...

10/30 - Audrain County, Mo.: Lindsey Benne, Beef Today and Dairy Today Art Director: Farmers are hauling in gravel to their fields just to get in and out.




-- Audrain County, Mo.

10/30 - Carlos, Minn.: It has been raining off and on for 3 weeks. We got a start to the beans 3 weeks ago, some of my neighbors were out on Tuesday the only day of full sun and wind that we had. The beans were between 18-28%. I don’t have the balls to try that yet. I thought we could go on Wednesday but at 10 am it started to drizzle and it has been raining ever since to get through the gloom we have put the carpenter belt on to do some remolding have a safe harvest say a pray for dry weather.

10/30 - Opole, Minn.: Rain, rain, go away, and come back next July day!!!

10/30 - Lafayette County Wis.: WET, WET, WET. I guess we are all in the same boat. We are way, way behind. Corn is developing green mold. Broker says when weather straightens out there is a big crop out there. Problem is will the sun ever shine again? Stay safe everyone…a safe harvest is a good harvest.

10/30 - Nebraska Panhandle: Guess we don't have to worry about the irrigated corn blowing over before harvest, the snow is holding it up!


-- Nebraska Panhandle

10/30 - Buena Vista County, Northwest Iowa: Raining here again, close to 10 inches now in October, Still some beans out in the fields here, I just got done, Yields decent in the 50's which is normal. Some have gave up on beans and started corn, most of it from what I've heard is anywhere from 20% to 40% moisture and yields from 120 to 220, with very low test weights. Stalk Rot now a real concern & some guys are finding green snap they didn't know they had, those yields cut in half. I believe this harvest, when it's over, if ever will be one, we all will want to forget!

10/30 - Cass County, Iowa: 1.4 in. of rain so far today and it's still raining. I've only run 80 acres of beans in October. It rains or drizzles nearly every day. Yields are great with beans 50 to 62 and most corn over 200 but wet @ 23 to 25%. It's going to be a long fall at this pace.

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10/29 - Hutchinson Kan.: Just after midnight Oct. 29, 2009. It is pouring down rain again. Still have beans to cut, still have wheat to plant. I am 50 years old and I have never planted wheat this late. 2010 wheat will be very pour when planted this late.

10/29 - East Central Missouri: 10 to 12 inches of rain since Oct. 8th. Two more inches expected tomorrow night. Most of corn and beans planted last week of June and first week of July. A lot of corn not black layered yet. Beans frosted and were defoliated. Don't know what the outcome will be. Only a small amount of corn not replanted is harvested. Most beans planted only once, but very little harvested. I know of first crop beans planted on July 19th. They were completely green when the frost hit. Good luck to everyone.

10/29 - Dane/Columbia counties, Wis.: Big problem -- I just checked my four different varieties of Pioneer corn. 70% has mold. Not advanced yet, but we have to start harvesting to get it down below 15%. Dealer denies there is a problem. I'm just waiting for these seed companies to continue there exorbitant prices. We have to lobby our representatives to allow us to us our home grown seeds for seed. Brazil and Argentina does not permit seed/chemical companies to restrict farmers.

10/29 - Obion County, Tenn.: Lot of corn harvested this week along with a few beans. Raining now will slow harvest the next few days. Harvested corn until 1 a.m. Thursday morning, many combines running and grain elevator was staying open. Looks like good weather the next few days after the wet system moves out farmers are way behind but with good weather we can catch up quick.

10/29 - Clark County, Ark.: If there were any doubts about how nasty it is down here this ought to answer those questions.

[Wow…]

-- Clark County, Ark.

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10/28 - Southern Will County, Ill., about fifty miles south of Chicago: So far this week we have received 7 tenths of rain, we need at least two more days without rain before ground conditions will support equipment. The only harvesting we have done (as with almost all other farmers in our area) was last Mon, Tue, Wed ( Oct 19-21), everyone was doing beans. When we started on Monday was about 16 + % and by late Tue and Wed we were taking some out around 13 %, our yields have been from upper 40s to low 50s. Bean harvest is about 30-40 % complete here, but does change rapidly in just a few miles, with more or less harvesting complete. We have not done any corn; you can probably drive ten miles in any direction and can only find a few corn fields where corn harvest has occurred. Those who have done corn report 29-35 + % moisture, they also say that in last 7-10 days have only lost one point, and no one has talked about yields. We have changed over to corn now, seems like no "bean weather" in near future, so if ground conditions improve and we miss the next forecast rain event, we will try some corn on Fri (Oct 30) and get some firsthand knowledge of what our moisture levels and yield.

10/28 - Ramsey County, Northeast North Dakota: Rain again with more rain & snow in the forecast for the next few days. We have only harvested 3 partial days in the past month. Pinto beans are less than 25% harvested, moisture has been over twenty on most, what is left will only be a salvage operation. Soybeans are less than 10% harvested, and they were upper teens to over twenty moisture. We had not planned to even try the corn until after Thanksgiving, may harvest it in the spring, did a lot last year and was pleasantly surprised by the increase in test weight and minimal loss.

10/28 - Lancaster, Pa.: We are wet and getting wetter. Harvest is at a standstill with 3 inches of rain in the past week. Corn moisture still running in the upper 20's. Quality will soon become an issue as well. It will be a challenge to get the remaining acres of small grain planted.

10/28 - Texas: Though cooler weather slowed down the advance of armyworms, the pest is still eating up pastures and small grain fields in many parts of the state, report Texas AgriLife Extension Service personnel.

[There were undoubtedly a lot of fields that weren’t sprayed in time…]

The line of demarcation is clearly visible in this Somervell County small grain field where the farmer stopped the advance of armyworms with a pesticide spraying. If the producer hadn’t sprayed, the pest would have quickly taken out the whole field, said Joshua Blanek, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for agriculture in Somervell County, southwest of Fort Worth. (Texas AgriLife Extension Service photo by Joshua Blanek)

10/28 - Gove County, Kan.: Normally I am winding up fall harvest and as of today I have not even started. Corn and milo is not drying down enough to the level needed to deliver to the local elevators. Field conditions are wet with water standing in many terraces and more moisture on the way. It is definitely a challenge ahead for the fall harvest!

10/28 - Richland County, Wis.: Lots of rain over 4" in last 2 weeks. Lots of corn has got mold some fields are not useable corn is all black on cob. lots off beans have water standing in them. More standing than cut in Richland County, Wis. Grant County is about the same; had fog that froze on crops this morning. Slow, slow, slow is what happening here.

10/28 - Far Northern Illinois: Many fields of soybeans untouched some corn being picked but hard to find corn under 30%. Mold is present on almost every ear I looked at yesterday. Stalk quality is starting to slip quickly in some fields. There simply is not enough drying capacity to harvest this crop with any speed. Most guys have drying capacity for a half day of harvesting and two big 12 row combines can bury the local elevator at 32% corn. Feels like a real disaster is just around the corner with any type of wind or snow event. We will be talking about the fall of 2009 for many years to come.

10/28 - Grinnell, Iowa: Pam Smith, Farm Journal Seeds & Production Editor: Tom Fry, Monsanto region agronomy lead, discusses the condition of the corn crop in his area and where SmartStax fits.

10/28 - Seven Springs, N.C.: Corn harvest is nearing completion with above average yields. Were seeing some 120-220 bpa over our acres, peanut harvest is half-way through with good yields over 2 tons/acre. Cotton harvest is slowly starting with yields being anywhere between 700-1500 lbs to the acre (all dryland).Soybean Harvest is still 2 weeks away. Tobacco is over and people are cutting ditchbanks and beginning to plant wheat. Have a Safe and Blessed Harvest Season.

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10/27 - Jackson County, Mich.: We got our beans done between showers; moisture was 17 high and 12.5 low yield just 50...still lots of beans in county to do yet.

10/27 - Bristolville, Ohio: Harvesting Soybeans with the New Holland TR85. Case 2390 pulling a Unverferth and DMI Gravity wagons.

10/27 - Central Michigan: Wet and getting wetter, soys are half done for us now were all in the same boat. This could get real bad real fast I've seen it before snow will be here before you know it. Some beans I am afraid are disc bait frosted green as grass and now are mush. Tested corn at 30-32.

10/27 - East Central Illinois: Still a lot of fields of soybeans untouched some corn being picked but still 22 to28 % I opened up a corn field of 109day corn planted May 22nd and found lots of moldy ears. The shucks on the ear where closed and no bird damage but are moldy from top to bottom. The Diplodia seems worse on the higher ground in the field.

10/27 - Roseau County, Northwest Minnesota: The corn is covered with mold. 40% moisture and the corn will be shot before we have a chance to harvest. Lots of wet beans and confection flowers have head rot are shelling out.

10/27 - Scotts Bluff County, Nebraska Panhandle: Following ten years of drought farmers trying to scratch out a living in the Nebraska panhandle were in seventh heaven when showers arrived on schedule this past spring; fast forward to October and sentiments couldn’t be worse. The rains we’d spent years praying for turned vicious....pounding fields so hard sprouting beans couldn’t break the surface, and delaying corn planting by soggy-weeks...not days. In addition to less-than-desirable planting conditions our summer was unusually cool and cloudy; harvest troubles were inevitable. As of October 26 eight percent of the dry edible beans remain un-harvested, farmers are slowly mudding-out the sugar beets, and corn is still running mid to upper twenties moisture. With area bins equipped with fans, not dryers, we’ve no recourse but to wait and pray.

In the past few weeks we’ve seen record snowfall, and rain measuring in inches...not the tenths our area is known for; the latest weather forecast says we have a 90% chance of 5 to 15 inches of snow accompanied by 55mph winds later this week. It looks as if this might be the year of ‘The Harvest’....the one retired farmers talk about when they’re old and grey.

”I remember 2009; you never saw anything like it......”

10/27 - Northwest Minnesota, along Canadian Border: We had a hard killing frost Sept 27th and now the corn has ear rot on 75 - 90% of the cobs. Federal Crop is releasing thousands of acres and corn choppers are going. There won't be many fields combined in NW MN. The moisture is 45%. Lots of beans left. Moisture is stuck at 18 - 20%.

10/27 - Greenfield, Ill.: More rain in Greenfield, Ill., says farmer Ross Prough.

10/27 - Ohio: Most of the beans are off a little bit of corn but is ever wet 25 to 35 percent moisture we dried some over the weekend and the test weight is 58 to 59 yields is better than we ever expected. No rain most of the summer 125 to 140 on ground that usually grows 175 to 200l plus but we will take it hoping tonight before the rain to get another 10,000 shelled.

10/27 - Dane/Columbia County, Wis.: Drizzle all day again. Neighbors are talking about mold forming on the tips of corn ears. Steam is really rolling out of neighbors dryer as he is trying to get started harvesting corn. 2/3 of my beans still in the field. Forecast - sunny tomorrow, cloudy on Wednesday, rain and snow mix after that.

10/27 - Miner County, S.D.: Just a few beans out with yields in fifties but moisture 18 to 19. Corn is thirty five or more. Have not turned a wheel on our farms. Brookings County bean yields in forty mainly with 30 to 50 % done. Very little corn. My farm beans were fifty one and 12% but lots of ground to cover, a most interesting year.

10/27 - Southwest Minnesota: We had 2.20 inches of rain from the 21 to the 22 and with it we had wet snow that gave us .35 inches of moisture. Maybe a quarter of the beans are out and I'm talking about a big area that is still standing in the field. Only spotty corn to test for moisture and it is 25 to 38% and most is in the 30 to 38% range. We have had 3.75 in. rain in the month of October. Fields were staying good for harvest but now have water standing in some low spots. Most all beans have been taken out with moisture in the 14 to 20% range. A lot of beans have been binned and air on them but we have not had any sunny days with low humidity. Elevators are drying beans. Yields have been in the 48 to 60 bu. range when harvested. A lot of money is due around the first of Nov. and we have not much crop harvested to fill contracts for new crop sales. We need everyone to be praying to God for help and to get us through this difficult time. He always makes it work out!!!!

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10/26 - Bond County, South Central Illinois: Is this really possible? We have had the wettest couple of months in history. Most corn is still 30% and they are calling for 2-3 more inches of rain this week. We are losing crop as we speak. Lodging in the corn is starting to take place. Any suggestions? I am ready to punt!!!!

10/26 - North Central Illinois: We tried about an acre of soybeans @ 17% so it's back to corn. The corn was running anywhere from 200-260 dry and the wet yield is even too wild to mention! This field was mainly running around 30-34% but the next field we went into was 38% so it was decided that we should stop for just a little bit. It has been raining so much that we really can't do much anyway.

10/26 - Fillmore County, southeast Minnesota: Got our beans harvested late Tuesday night, running about 53bpa+ before shrink. Just looked at a cob of corn and noticed now we have moldy corn, it wasn't entirely covered in mold but as if this year hasn't been difficult enough now we get this thrown at us.

10/26 - Central South Dakota: We have not turned a wheel. Corn 30-35% Sunflowers 24% as of yesterday. Flowers are starting to mold in the field and test wt. is light around 25 lbs after air drying. Rain all next week. A lot of talk that this harvest will finish up this spring. Corn does not dry after the first of Nov. here. Not good.

10/26 - Central Illinois: Pam Smith, Farm Journal Seeds & Production Editor: We're a soggy mess in Central Illinois. Rain gauges captured anywhere from 2.5 to 3.5 inches. A lot of crop came out of the field this week, but we still have a long way to go. This bean field sits southwest of Decatur. I should have said that we got that rain Thursday night and Friday morning.


-- Pam Smith, Farm Journal Seeds & Production Editor

10/26 - Floyd County, Iowa: We had 4 inches of rain Oct.20 thru Oct.24. Most are 60% to 70% done with beans, of which most were harvested too wet. Corn will vary from 21% to 38% in one pass across the field, rather unusual for 100 day corn planted before April 24th. Yields good, reports of dried corn test weight 48 to 53 lbs. Corn harvesting is practically non existent.

10/26 - Cedar County, Neb.: Sunshine is getting to be an abnormal object in the sky. We received 2" of rain Tuesday thru Friday and raining this mourning. Harvest is slow, we have two soybean fields out over the scale 69bu.irrigated and 50 on dryland well above average. Corn harvest looks to be great but very wet irr.250 dryland 200. Praying for sun and warm weather. Be careful; safety first!!!!

10/26 - East Central North Dakota: Total stand still in East Central North Dakota. Too wet to dig beets, too wet to combine soys, 1/2 or more of the dry beans left and too wet. Sunflower moisture went from 17 two weeks ago to 27 yesterday. And weather man says snow for Thursday, Saturday and Sunday of next week...Man are we in trouble...

10/26 - Benson County, Northeast North Dakota: Same old weather. Wet, wet, wet. Benson and Wells counties are 2 of the largest producers of Pinto Beans in the US. There might be 25% harvested. With rain and snow in the forecast for the next 10 days it is not looking good for any type of bean harvest. There are a lot of soybeans standing also but we have very little effect on total world production. Hopefully we can get the corn and sunflowers off. Preventive Plant is the only option right now for next year. Water standing all over.

10/26 - North Central, Campbell County, S.D.: Were able to attempt to combine beans only once this fall and that was a week ago. Rain, sprinkles and heavy cloud cover everyday. With forecast for upcoming week it looks like combines will be sitting til at least Friday. Frustrated like the rest of you as it looks like we are sitting on some real good yields. We did notice a touch of mold in some the corn that got hit by the early frost. Has anyone else noticed mold in their corn fields in the Dakotas? Everyone be safe once this harvest gets underway and good luck!.
…
10/26 - Western Dawson, Cozad, Lexington, Neb.: These were sent to me by a friend. Thought I would pass it along.







-- Western Dawson, Cozad, Lexington, Neb.
My reaction: I have said that I expect the 2009/10 crop to be down around 10% from last year, but I am beginning to think it might be worse than that…

[Workaholic]

The people that control the weather controllers have decided we don't need any food next year.

[thorgrim]

It seemed this summer that whenever they chem-trailed our area they were stoping the rain as well.

[Glass]

sounds like things are all over tough.

[puller738]

I'm from farm country with alot of buddies who are farmers. It's not good here . Guys are WAY behind due to the weather. Corn is testing at 30-35 percent moisture which is terrible and beans are not much better. Hopein for good wx this week as the guys are running out of time.

[CANUCKFARMER]

I follow this on a dailly basis.

If the corn and soyabean crop did not come off in the US billions of people would starve.

[elroy]

South of Lafayette Indiana,

I am hearing reports of corn with 30% moisture and damage from rot as high as 60%.

There has been so much rain that some of the corn is rotting on the stalk, and this is not in low lying areas either.

[coopersmith]

Luckily, here in eastern colorado its business as usual. If any of you folk are feeding grain to livestock now would be a great time to buy some surplus.