Crops showing good quality

Farmers in the Holyoke area are focusing on harvest. Corn harvest is just getting started, millet was reported as nearly done, pinto and kidney beans at 85% and 90% done, respectively, and potatoes over halfway done. Early sugar beet harvest is about 5% done with regular harvest scheduled to start Saturday, Oct. 9. With a couple of fields ready, popcorn harvest could likely begin this week.

Although the heavy rainstorm in mid-August affected the development of some crops and the harvest schedule of others, the quality and yields of crops are good overall.

Evan Fust, general manager at CHS Grainland, said dryland and irrigated corn harvest recently started and are about 10% and 5% done, respectively, as of Monday, Oct. 4.

Fust said the irrigated corn that’s been received looks good and started with a better moisture profile during planting than last year. Corn had a low test weight at the beginning of last year’s harvest, and it’s showing a better test weight to start this year ­— even with the dry summer.

Regarding dryland corn, he said some areas got too dry, which had an impact. He added that corn harvest is about a week early due to the warm September.

He reported millet harvest at about 95% done with variable yields. He estimated the average was about 40-45 bushels, with the low end at 20 and the high at 60. He noted that the heavy August rainstorm made the harvest more difficult.

Fust pointed out that compared to the five-year price averages, prices of corn and millet are up — a positive sign for area producers.

Shawna Mason, general manager at Paoli Co-op, reported that millet harvest was close to 96%-97% done as of Monday. The harvest was on time, and the yields are good. She said they are about 40 bushels per acre on average, and the quality is good with a good test weight.

Mason said no irrigated corn has been received yet, but she expected they would start to get some in the middle of October.

Paoli Co-op received its first load of dryland corn Friday, Oct. 1. Mason said the initial loads look good and have 16%-22% moisture.

Tom Harmon, general manager of Jack’s Bean Company, said kidney bean harvest is about 90% done. The crop is decent and yields are average, depending on where the fields are located. He said the heavy rainstorm in August may have hurt quality and yields.

He reported that pinto bean harvest is about 85% done. The yields are close to average, and the weather has cooperated in that the rain has stayed away after the beans were on the ground waiting to be picked up. Both kidney and pinto bean harvests are on schedule.

Harmon said there are a couple of popcorn fields ready, and harvest will likely start this week. The crop is standing nicely, and it looks like the yield will be good and popping quality will be high. He added that the crop is drying quickly, which is a good thing.

Jim Allen, interim manager of Western Potatoes, said they are about 60%-70% done with harvest. He said the quality of the potatoes looks really good, and the yields are average. He reported that the harvest itself was slowed down quite a bit by the hot weather.

Luke Whitehill, agriculturalist at Western Sugar, said on Friday, Oct. 1, that they were about 5% done with early sugar beet harvest in the Holyoke area. Regular harvest is scheduled to begin Saturday, Oct. 9.

He said the quality of the early crop is as expected and has average yields. He expects the quality will go up, with sugar content and tonnage climbing as harvest goes on.

The August storm slowed down the beets’ development a bit. He noted that the warm fall is increasing the tons, and he’s excited about this year’s harvest and feels the crop will be good.