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Minnesota farmers catching up on soybean harvest

Minnesota farmers withstood wintery conditions towards the end of last week and are nearly finished harvesting soybeans.

In its latest crop progress report, the USDA says 95 percent of the state’s soybean acreage has been combined, just two percent off the five-year average.

However, corn harvest is more than two weeks behind normal at 38 percent as of Sunday.

Renville County farmer Gary Wertish says he’s done harvesting soybeans and navy beans, but needs at least a week of good weather to wrap up corn.

“It’s coming along.  We haven’t had that Halloween snowstorm (yet), which is not in the forecast.  But there are some wet spots in fields as you drive around.  It’s still challenging in some areas dealing with wet soils, trying to get the crop out.”

As weather allows, Minnesota farmers are also busy with tillage, fertilizer and manure application.