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A delayed harvest for many Ohio farmers

Ohio farmers are waiting patiently for harvest to begin.

Central Ohio farmer Mike Vallery says his crops lacked Growing Degree Units and is running behind.  “Typically from when I planted my soybeans, we should be running them right now,” he says.  “But we’re about a week to 10 days behind.”

He tells Brownfield the crop was healthy most of the year, but he’s seen some late-season disease pressure.  “Tar Spot has come in,” he says.  “But it came in late enough it isn’t going to influence our yield.”

AUDIO: Michael Vallery, Ohio

Jerry Bambauer a soybean farmer from Auglaize County says he’s still a week to 10 days from starting harvest and he’s expecting decent yields.  “Are they the best we’ve ever had,” he says.  “No.  We lost yield early.  Planting season we went 25 days without any rain.  We had a dry period in July once we finished up wheat harvest.  We’ve had some dry spells, but I think we’re pretty good.”

AUDIO: Jerry Baumbauer, Ohio Soybean farmer

Brownfield interviewed Vallery and Bambauer at the 2023 Farm Science Review at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center in London, Ohio.