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Harvest resumes quickly in moisture-starved southern Minnesota

Parched soils rapidly absorbed recent rains allowing farmers in southern Minnesota to resume fall fieldwork.

Farm management analyst Kent Thiesse with MinnStar Bank in Lake Crystal says two to four inches of rain were common over the weekend.

“And yet some farmers by Sunday (and) even more farmers yesterday and today (are) back in the field again and not having to avoid wet spots , so it shows how dry it was the fact that rain just soaked right into the soil.”

He tells Brownfield most farmers recognized the need and welcomed a break from harvest activity.

“Helps recharge our soil moisture, but it also kind of lessens the impact of potential fires and makes tillage a little easier this fall once we finish harvest.”

Thiesse estimates 85 to 90 percent of soybeans in south-central Minnesota have been harvested and pegs the corn harvest at 35 to 40 percent done.