Harvest wrapping up in Holyoke area

Area farmers are finishing up with harvest, with many crops being reported at 95% or more done. Yields and quality have also generally been good this year.

Perry Campbell, grain merchandiser with CHS Grainland, said both dryland and irrigated corn harvests were 95% done as of Monday, Nov. 8.

He said there have been a lot of record and near-record yields with good overall quality for irrigated corn. The yields for dryland corn were running 20-100 bushels per acre, and the areas that caught the July rains showed better quality.

Dryland corn quality was helped by the Aug. 19 rainstorm, and Campbell said the harvest was on schedule. Irrigated corn harvest was slightly ahead of schedule.

Campbell noted that while there was some hail on Aug. 19, the irrigated corn crop was far enough along that it didn’t trim the yield as it would have if the storm had been in July.

Campbell reported that millet harvest is virtually 100% done, with yields averaging about 35 bushels per acre and showing good quality.

Shawna Mason, general manager of Paoli Co-op, reported that millet harvest is 100% done as of Tuesday, Nov. 9. The yield was about 40 bushels per acre, and the quality of the crops was good. She reported no harvest delays or weather impacts.

She said that harvest for dryland and irrigated corn is 95% done. Yields and quality for both crops were good. She noted that dryland corn harvest was a little late but farmers got through it quickly.

She added that a delay in the freeze early on prevented some irrigated corn from drying, which delayed the harvest of some fields.

Luke Whitehill, agriculturist with Western Sugar Cooperative, said sugar beet harvest is complete in the Holyoke area. He said the yield averaged 32 tons per acre and 17.3% sugar content, noting that there was a 1.3% sugar loss to molasses. He was pleased to note that overall the harvest went smoothly.

Tom Harmon, general manager of Jack’s Bean Company, reported that kidney beans, pinto beans and popcorn harvests were complete as of last week.

Kidney bean yields were mixed, and the quality was average to above average. Pinto bean yields were also mixed, but the quality was above average.

Harmon reported that the weather cooperated for kidney bean, pinto bean and popcorn harvests. Kidney bean and pinto bean harvests were on schedule, and popcorn harvest was a little ahead of schedule. Popcorn yield was a little above average and of normal quality.