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Illinois farmer halfway done with corn harvest

Corn harvest is about halfway complete for a central Illinois farmer.  

Joe Bloome of Morrisonville tell Brownfield yields are about average.

“Late dryness really kind of hurt us. I’m seeing some stalk quality issues also, so we’re pushing it a little bit on moisture try to get some out. It’s not horrible, but I don’t know how much corn would be left standing if there was a 60 mile an hour wind.”

He says it is taking a while for corn to dry down so having multiple storage options is beneficial.

“At 22% to 27%, I’ll haul it to the elevator if its cheap drying. Once it hits 21%, we’ll switch over and do on-farm bin storage, and then once it’s under 18%, we’ll switch and start grain bagging. So, you have three different metrics that you’re looking for in moisture.”

Bloome expects to be wrapping up corn harvest within a week to 10 days and says he will likely have a window to continue winter wheat planting or apply fall fertilizer before soybeans are ready.

Photo provided by Joe Bloome

Audio: Interview with Joe Bloome